Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Basra Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Basra

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $742 in Basra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,351 in Basra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,960 in Basra.

Living in Medellin is roughly 37% more expensive than Basra, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Basra 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$3.81 IQD 4,990

57.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$24.77 IQD 32.4K

32.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$7.02 IQD 9,193

1.00%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$2.06 IQD 2,695

-16.99%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.44 IQD 572

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.35 IQD 452

122.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$3.86 IQD 5,061

-56.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$2.70 IQD 3,532

13.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.23 IQD 1,607

-11.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$0.70 IQD 919

80.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.41 IQD 1,850

-2.13%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$1.92 IQD 2,512

14.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$8.05 IQD 10.5K

-45.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$7.22 IQD 9,457

-22.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$13.20 IQD 17.3K

-32.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$1.01 IQD 1,321

131.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.42 IQD 1,858

-25.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.02 IQD 1,331

47.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$0.63 IQD 820

119.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$0.71 IQD 932

61.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$0.57 IQD 744

103.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.83 IQD 1,085

7.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.41 IQD 541

104.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$1.88 IQD 2,458

21.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$12.76 IQD 16.7K

-16.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$2.97 IQD 3,892

-59.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$3.78 IQD 4,947

-34.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.39 IQD 516

120.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$23.21 IQD 30.4K

78.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$2.31 IQD 3,028

-36.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$2.21 IQD 2,891

-11.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$6.76 IQD 8,847

14.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$0.58 IQD 762

63.79%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$13.3K IQD 17.4M

36.67%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$23.2K IQD 30.4M

14.08%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$56.6 IQD 74.1K

45.37%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$25.19 IQD 33.0K

-62.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$38.41 IQD 50.3K

-36.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$37.07 IQD 48.5K

-30.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$15.48 IQD 20.3K

22.74%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$7.75 IQD 10.2K

-49.29%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$97.0 IQD 127.0K

219.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$3,772 IQD 4.9M

58.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$41.85 IQD 54.8K

40.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$20.30 IQD 26.6K

59.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$72.9 IQD 95.4K

40.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$40.68 IQD 53.3K

166.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$455 IQD 595.7K

4.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$133 IQD 174.1K

184.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$918 IQD 1.2M

-8.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$671 IQD 878.0K

7.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$1,581 IQD 2.1M

76.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$800 IQD 1.0M

51.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$763 IQD 998.7K

-32.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

5.67

136.86%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Basra: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $455 in Basra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basra pays 49% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $25.00 in Basra. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $213, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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

Medellin and Basra differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $742 including rent). Basra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Basra earns 49% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $455 in Basra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Basra – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $742 in Basra versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $2,000 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 37% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.