Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Duhok Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Duhok

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $663 in Duhok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,064 in Duhok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,466 in Duhok.

Living in Medellin is roughly 148% more expensive than in Duhok, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Duhok is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 25.1K

$3.84 IQD 5,024

109.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 150.7K

$18.93 IQD 24.8K

155.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.4K

$8.62 IQD 11.3K

9.28%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,169

$2.81 IQD 3,684

4.63%

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

$1.86 COP 5,817

$0.40 IQD 518

365.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,543

$0.21 IQD 269

595.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 10.0K

$1.88 IQD 2,464

70.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.8K

$2.35 IQD 3,074

142.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,491

$1.23 IQD 1,611

17.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,494

$0.78 IQD 1,027

207.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,302

$1.76 IQD 2,311

-3.41%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,022

$1.85 IQD 2,429

56.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.4K

$4.91 IQD 6,436

104.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 31.1K

$3.09 IQD 4,041

222.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 44.3K

$12.88 IQD 16.9K

10.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.4K

$1.08 IQD 1,408

268.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,947

$1.11 IQD 1,450

42.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,718

$0.81 IQD 1,065

165.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,178

$0.69 IQD 904

233.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,257

$0.75 IQD 976

166.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.69 IQD 901

118.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,754

$0.80 IQD 1,045

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 4,002

$0.59 IQD 772

116.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 12.0K

$1.92 IQD 2,517

100.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$12.55 IQD 16.4K

11.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,331

$1.64 IQD 2,147

4.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,560

$2.05 IQD 2,686

33.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,888

$0.36 IQD 466

247.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 243.1K

$15.53 IQD 20.3K

401.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,073

$1.86 IQD 2,436

-29.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,775

$1.43 IQD 1,875

51.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.9K

$5.83 IQD 7,629

42.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,231

$0.67 IQD 879

102.99%

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

$27.5K COP 85.7M

$18.3K IQD 24.0M

50.02%

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

$36.5K COP 114.0M

$20.2K IQD 26.4M

81.16%

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

$169 COP 526.6K

$92.3 IQD 120.8K

82.87%

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

$13.57 COP 42.4K

$9.76 IQD 12.8K

39.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 88.4K

$28.23 IQD 37.0K

0.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 142.7K

$53.3 IQD 69.8K

-14.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.8K

$30.88 IQD 40.4K

-44.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.8K

$7.55 IQD 9,883

-11.92%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$111 IQD 145.6K

622.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.7M

$3,151 IQD 4.1M

191.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 272.7K

$10.17 IQD 13.3K

759.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 185.3K

$20.16 IQD 26.4K

194.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 433.6K

$30.16 IQD 39.5K

360.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.5K

$20.11 IQD 26.3K

407.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$179 IQD 234.5K

498.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$125 IQD 163.7K

422.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 6.0M

$366 IQD 479.6K

425.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.3M

$338 IQD 442.9K

209.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.9M

$477 IQD 625.2K

763.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.3M

$391 IQD 512.6K

333.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$455 IQD 595.5K

44.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.53

332.41%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Duhok: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $179 in Duhok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 44% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $19.00 in Duhok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $173 per month, with Duhok 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 Duhok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Duhok differ by about 148% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $663 including rent). Duhok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 44% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,071 in Medellin versus $179 in Duhok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $111 in Duhok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $663 in Duhok versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Duhok but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Duhok 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Duhok are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Duhok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 148% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.