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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $957 in Basra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,450 in Basra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,944 in Basra.

Living in Medellin is roughly 76% more expensive than in Basra, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Basra is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$4.51 IQD 5,906

77.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$30.88 IQD 40.4K

55.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$7.42 IQD 9,712

33.29%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.55 IQD 3,345

22.75%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.44 IQD 571

334.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.34 IQD 445

344.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$3.90 IQD 5,113

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$4.12 IQD 5,398

39.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.12 IQD 1,462

28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.70 IQD 917

255.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.47 IQD 1,919

20.41%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.82 IQD 2,380

62.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$7.53 IQD 9,861

33.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$6.36 IQD 8,333

59.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$14.04 IQD 18.4K

1.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$0.97 IQD 1,273

326.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.36 IQD 1,776

18.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$0.97 IQD 1,274

131.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.65 IQD 856

246.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.77 IQD 1,013

164.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.65 IQD 856

136.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.87 IQD 1,133

34.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.39 IQD 509

235.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.08 IQD 2,726

87.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$6.74 IQD 8,823

107.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$3.11 IQD 4,073

-44.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$3.92 IQD 5,135

-26.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.60 IQD 784

103.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$18.72 IQD 24.5K

329.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$2.36 IQD 3,089

-44.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$2.27 IQD 2,967

-3.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$7.06 IQD 9,240

23.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.60 IQD 783

128.33%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$13.5K IQD 17.7M

106.36%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$23.2K IQD 30.4M

53.90%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$51.4 IQD 67.3K

244.74%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$25.89 IQD 33.9K

-46.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$39.73 IQD 52.0K

-25.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$36.24 IQD 47.5K

23.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$13.93 IQD 18.2K

22.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$7.60 IQD 9,955

-12.50%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$127 IQD 166.6K

538.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$3,881 IQD 5.1M

136.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$49.97 IQD 65.4K

79.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$20.04 IQD 26.2K

194.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$77.1 IQD 101.0K

79.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$41.43 IQD 54.3K

146.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$477 IQD 624.8K

122.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$346 IQD 453.0K

91.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$853 IQD 1.1M

121.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$626 IQD 819.5K

64.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,578 IQD 2.1M

165.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$786 IQD 1.0M

112.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$777 IQD 1.0M

-12.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.67

92.95%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Basra: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $477 in Basra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basra pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $31.00 in Basra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $197 per month, with Basra cheaper across the board.

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 76% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $957 including rent). Basra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Basra. 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $477 in Basra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% 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 $31.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $957 in Basra versus $1,681 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 76% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.