Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Doha Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Doha

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $2,155 in Doha, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $3,334 in Doha, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $4,514 in Doha, rent included.

Medellin is about 24% cheaper than Doha, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Medellin and Doha sit above the global median – Medellin by 19%, Doha by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$11.14 QAR 40.54

-27.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.7K

$73.4 QAR 267

-34.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$8.47 QAR 30.83

11.22%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.38 QAR 45.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.64 QAR 49.64

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,045

$5.71 QAR 20.79

-48.51%

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

$1.86 COP 5,738

$1.01 QAR 3.66

84.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,481

$0.45 QAR 1.62

224.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,887

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,431

$2.07 QAR 7.52

-30.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,393

$1.47 QAR 5.35

63.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,230

$1.93 QAR 7.01

-11.92%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,901

$3.46 QAR 12.61

-16.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.0K

$11.24 QAR 40.93

-10.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$8.12 QAR 29.57

22.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$11.19 QAR 40.72

26.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.19 QAR 7.98

81.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,880

$1.86 QAR 6.75

-15.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,627

$1.52 QAR 5.54

41.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,082

$1.27 QAR 4.61

81.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,172

$1.01 QAR 3.66

98.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,648

$1.02 QAR 3.70

48.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,703

$1.38 QAR 5.03

-13.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,948

$0.51 QAR 1.87

150.98%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.38 QAR 34.16

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 QAR 6.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 QAR 8.05

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$6.64 QAR 24.17

-42.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,259

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,444

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,836

$0.57 QAR 2.09

119.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.9K

$27.29 QAR 99.4

185.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,018

$1.97 QAR 7.17

-33.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,684

$2.03 QAR 7.40

6.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$14.02 QAR 51.0

-40.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,174

$0.59 QAR 2.14

130.51%

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

$27.5K COP 84.6M

$27.9K QAR 101.7K

-1.64%

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

$36.5K COP 112.5M

$22.2K QAR 80.6K

64.93%

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

$169 COP 519.5K

$89.6 QAR 326

88.41%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$35.92 QAR 131

-62.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$87.9 QAR 320

-67.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.8K

$133 QAR 485

-65.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$18.48 QAR 67.3

-6.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$12.29 QAR 44.72

-45.89%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$685 QAR 2,493

17.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$10.1K QAR 36.6K

-8.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.0K

$61.6 QAR 224

41.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.8K

$52.0 QAR 189

14.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.7K

$105 QAR 381

32.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.2K

$86.4 QAR 315

18.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$1,926 QAR 7,012

-44.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$1,231 QAR 4,480

-46.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$3,532 QAR 12.9K

-45.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$2,342 QAR 8,525

-55.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$4,171 QAR 15.2K

-1.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$2,469 QAR 8,986

-31.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$3,385 QAR 12.3K

-80.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.88

86.05%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Doha: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $1,926 in Doha. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 417% higher in Doha, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $73.0 in Doha. Groceries tell a different story – $300 in Medellin vs $216 in Doha – so Doha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Doha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Doha is pricier by about 31%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $3,233 in Doha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 185% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $803 per month in Medellin and $685 in Doha. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,641, than in Doha at $2,155. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Doha it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Doha makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.