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: $1,018 in Medellin versus $646 in Duhok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,609 in Medellin versus $1,042 in Duhok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,200 in Medellin versus $1,437 in Duhok.

Living in Medellin is roughly 58% more expensive than in Duhok, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Duhok 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 COP 19.1K

$3.82 IQD 4,994

55.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.12 COP 106.6K

$18.86 IQD 24.7K

75.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 COP 22.9K

$7.18 IQD 9,392

-0.84%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 5,487

$2.64 IQD 3,452

-35.23%

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

$1.05 COP 3,374

$0.40 IQD 522

162.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,324

$0.18 IQD 233

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,531

$1.13 IQD 1,482

52.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.2K

$1.87 IQD 2,449

69.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,426

$1.37 IQD 1,786

-22.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,215

$0.82 IQD 1,067

59.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,279

$1.57 IQD 2,050

-15.29%

Eggs

$2.28 COP 7,338

$1.88 IQD 2,462

21.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.42 COP 14.2K

$5.22 IQD 6,825

-15.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 COP 19.0K

$2.94 IQD 3,840

101.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 27.8K

$12.62 IQD 16.5K

-31.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 7,545

$1.12 IQD 1,460

108.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,546

$1.14 IQD 1,494

-3.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,724

$0.82 IQD 1,071

79.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,439

$0.75 IQD 977

84.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$0.72 IQD 939

62.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,765

$0.71 IQD 924

64.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,905

$0.77 IQD 1,011

16.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,708

$0.56 IQD 726

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 7,490

$1.87 IQD 2,450

24.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 COP 38.3K

$12.22 IQD 16.0K

-2.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,693

$1.38 IQD 1,802

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 COP 7,791

$2.00 IQD 2,610

21.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,702

$0.35 IQD 460

140.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 131.4K

$15.87 IQD 20.8K

157.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,541

$2.35 IQD 3,079

-40.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,160

$1.51 IQD 1,979

26.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 COP 25.2K

$6.04 IQD 7,901

29.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,037

$0.64 IQD 835

46.87%

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

$17.8K COP 57.3M

$18.9K IQD 24.7M

-5.50%

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

$27.1K COP 87.1M

$19.7K IQD 25.7M

37.57%

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

$83.3 COP 267.9K

$93.3 IQD 122.0K

-10.71%

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

$9.66 COP 31.1K

$9.99 IQD 13.1K

-3.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.22 COP 77.9K

$30.31 IQD 39.6K

-20.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.22 COP 81.2K

$52.1 IQD 68.1K

-51.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 62.2K

$16.82 IQD 22.0K

14.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.07 COP 13.1K

$7.68 IQD 10.0K

-47.01%

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

$307 COP 986.5K

$112 IQD 146.9K

173.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,981 COP 19.2M

$3,223 IQD 4.2M

85.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 192.9K

$9.90 IQD 12.9K

505.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.65 COP 105.1K

$19.68 IQD 25.7K

65.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 325.2K

$29.75 IQD 38.9K

239.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 347.6K

$20.14 IQD 26.3K

436.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.5M

$181 IQD 236.5K

163.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.2M

$123 IQD 160.4K

208.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 COP 2.6M

$374 IQD 489.8K

118.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 COP 2.3M

$345 IQD 450.6K

105.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,190 COP 10.3M

$460 IQD 601.6K

593.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 COP 4.7M

$385 IQD 503.8K

275.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

$431 IQD 564.3K

44.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

14.33

-6.28%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Last update for Duhok: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $181 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $19.00 in Duhok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $172 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 58% in total monthly costs ($1,018 vs $646 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: $476 in Medellin versus $181 in Duhok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $307 in Medellin versus $112 in Duhok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $646 in Duhok versus $1,018 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 58% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.