Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Basra

For one person, living is cheaper in Basra: $664 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Basra
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Basra Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Basra

🇮🇶 Iraq

$664

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Basra

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Basra actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $664 in Basra.

Medellin $1,639
Basra $664

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,194 in Basra.

Medellin $2,413
Basra $1,194

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,725 in Basra.

Medellin $3,186
Basra $1,725

Living in Medellin is roughly 147% more expensive than in Basra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Basra is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$3.88 IQD 5,859

108.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$26.91 IQD 40.7K

74.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$6.70 IQD 10.1K

41.79%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$2.29 IQD 3,462

31.44%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 COP 5,801

$0.38 IQD 568

373.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.30 IQD 458

370.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$3.28 IQD 4,951

-3.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$3.67 IQD 5,541

56.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$0.99 IQD 1,502

52.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$0.61 IQD 920

290.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$1.21 IQD 1,833

46.28%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$1.60 IQD 2,417

80.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$6.32 IQD 9,552

61.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$5.40 IQD 8,161

82.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$12.12 IQD 18.3K

15.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$0.84 IQD 1,265

372.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$1.18 IQD 1,784

31.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$0.85 IQD 1,285

156.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$0.55 IQD 834

296.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$0.64 IQD 960

206.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$0.54 IQD 813

194.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$0.80 IQD 1,211

43.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.34 IQD 512

264.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$1.80 IQD 2,725

120.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$11.21 IQD 16.9K

22.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$1.58 IQD 2,383

5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$1.82 IQD 2,755

24.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.52 IQD 789

125.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$16.41 IQD 24.8K

371.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$1.93 IQD 2,923

-34.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$1.95 IQD 2,948

5.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$6.34 IQD 9,576

34.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$0.56 IQD 841

141.07%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$11.4K IQD 17.3M

198.03%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$19.6K IQD 29.7M

76.54%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$170 COP 547.0K

$43.92 IQD 66.4K

286.27%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$22.28 IQD 33.7K

-39.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$33.60 IQD 50.8K

-16.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$31.84 IQD 48.1K

37.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$11.99 IQD 18.1K

43.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$6.56 IQD 9,906

5.34%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$797 COP 2.6M

$109 IQD 165.2K

628.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$3,237 IQD 4.9M

181.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$43.57 IQD 65.8K

94.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$17.35 IQD 26.2K

234.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$68.7 IQD 103.8K

96.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$35.89 IQD 54.2K

172.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$405 IQD 611.7K

198.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$138 IQD 208.3K

365.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$369 IQD 558.1K

448.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$548 IQD 828.2K

84.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$1,403 IQD 2.1M

197.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$707 IQD 1.1M

170.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$667 IQD 1.0M

-1.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.12

165.53%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Basra: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Basra

$138 20.8% 78.5% $504

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Basra

$171 25.8% 42.3% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Basra

$100 15% 52.8% $111

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Basra

$105 15.8% 38.1% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Basra

$74 11.2% 55.9% $94

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Basra

$30 4.6% 67.7% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Basra

$45 6.8% 21.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $405 in Basra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $27 in Basra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $171 per month, with Basra cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇶 Basra

🕒 Local time

19:57 7:57 PM

03:57 3:57 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

2,150,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,687 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Basra 12,740 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Basra

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Medellin vs Basra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $664 in Basra, so Basra is about 60% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,459 in Medellin and $995 in Basra to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $405 in Basra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Basra – a meal for two runs $27 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $664 in Basra versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Basra but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Basra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Basra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.