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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $646 in Duhok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,057 in Duhok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,468 in Duhok.

Living in Medellin is roughly 57% more expensive than Duhok, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 21.2K

$3.93 IQD 5,146

51.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 118.9K

$19.45 IQD 25.4K

71.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.8K

$6.94 IQD 9,081

4.18%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,811

$2.53 IQD 3,311

-35.57%

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

$1.09 COP 3,904

$0.42 IQD 555

159.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,604

$0.18 IQD 237

305.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,197

$1.17 IQD 1,532

48.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.5K

$1.93 IQD 2,524

67.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,742

$1.36 IQD 1,783

-22.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,614

$0.86 IQD 1,124

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,718

$1.57 IQD 2,060

-15.92%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 8,101

$1.87 IQD 2,449

21.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.5K

$5.24 IQD 6,857

-16.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 21.0K

$2.93 IQD 3,826

100.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.7K

$12.92 IQD 16.9K

-33.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 8,015

$1.12 IQD 1,469

100.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,814

$1.20 IQD 1,565

-10.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,438

$0.82 IQD 1,070

85.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 5,073

$0.71 IQD 929

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,173

$0.70 IQD 919

67.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,166

$0.70 IQD 910

67.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,163

$0.73 IQD 957

21.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,215

$0.56 IQD 732

60.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 8,008

$1.86 IQD 2,432

20.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 39.4K

$12.62 IQD 16.5K

-12.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 4,063

$1.44 IQD 1,884

-20.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,483

$1.97 IQD 2,575

20.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,979

$0.33 IQD 431

154.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 149.6K

$15.86 IQD 20.7K

164.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 5,019

$2.23 IQD 2,919

-36.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,779

$1.54 IQD 2,017

23.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.6K

$6.08 IQD 7,949

27.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,586

$0.66 IQD 861

53.03%

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

$17.6K COP 62.7M

$19.0K IQD 24.9M

-7.66%

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

$26.5K COP 94.5M

$19.8K IQD 25.9M

33.85%

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

$83.7 COP 298.4K

$93.8 IQD 122.7K

-10.81%

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

$9.45 COP 33.7K

$9.64 IQD 12.6K

-1.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 86.0K

$29.60 IQD 38.7K

-18.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 90.3K

$51.8 IQD 67.8K

-51.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 68.3K

$16.86 IQD 22.1K

13.52%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.6K

$7.44 IQD 9,737

-44.89%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$115 IQD 150.0K

172.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 21.4M

$3,332 IQD 4.4M

79.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 207.0K

$10.15 IQD 13.3K

471.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 116.1K

$19.73 IQD 25.8K

65.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 355.3K

$30.07 IQD 39.3K

231.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 387.1K

$19.79 IQD 25.9K

448.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$180 IQD 235.3K

168.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$124 IQD 162.5K

205.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 3.0M

$367 IQD 479.6K

128.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.6M

$346 IQD 452.3K

109.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 10.1M

$471 IQD 615.6K

503.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.4M

$394 IQD 515.0K

210.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$430 IQD 562.4K

25.79%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Duhok: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $180 in Duhok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 26% 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 $190 vs $174 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 57% in total monthly costs ($1,017 vs $646 including rent). Duhok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 26% more on average, 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: $482 in Medellin versus $180 in Duhok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $115 in Duhok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $646 in Duhok versus $1,017 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 57% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.