Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dukhan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dukhan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,667 in Dukhan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $2,265 in Dukhan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $2,862 in Dukhan.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 39% less than in Dukhan, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 24% below, Dukhan is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$7.00 QAR 25.49

-15.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$55.9 QAR 203

-40.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$6.77 QAR 24.66

6.79%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.67 QAR 42.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.94 QAR 39.84

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$5.01 QAR 18.23

-67.47%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.78 QAR 2.84

39.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.31 QAR 1.12

135.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$2.06 QAR 7.50

-49.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.55 QAR 5.66

-16.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$2.15 QAR 7.82

-38.60%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$2.57 QAR 9.37

-11.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$11.45 QAR 41.68

-62.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$7.85 QAR 28.57

-25.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$10.51 QAR 38.26

-18.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.04 QAR 7.44

10.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.61 QAR 5.86

-33.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.57 QAR 5.72

-3.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.45 QAR 5.29

-2.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.02 QAR 3.73

14.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.13 QAR 4.10

3.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$1.34 QAR 4.86

-33.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.45 QAR 1.63

100.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.58 QAR 34.87

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 QAR 6.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 QAR 10.70

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$6.50 QAR 23.66

-65.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$2.26 QAR 8.24

-37.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$2.24 QAR 8.15

-15.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$13.83 QAR 50.4

-43.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$0.56 QAR 2.05

80.36%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$22.8K QAR 83.1K

-23.04%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$20.6K QAR 75.1K

28.43%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$92.6 QAR 337

-9.58%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$37.16 QAR 135

-74.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$87.0 QAR 317

-72.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$12.25 QAR 44.59

-66.53%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$802 QAR 2,919

-61.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$11.7K QAR 42.7K

-48.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$61.4 QAR 223

-5.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$55.9 QAR 203

-41.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$100.0 QAR 364

-0.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$89.8 QAR 327

20.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$1,395 QAR 5,077

-65.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$931 QAR 3,389

-59.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$1,734 QAR 6,312

-51.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$1,167 QAR 4,248

-38.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$4,044 QAR 14.7K

-86.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

6.08

120.89%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Dukhan: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $1,395 in Dukhan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dukhan pays 648% 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 $56.0 in Dukhan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $210 per month, with Medellin 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 Dukhan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Dukhan differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($1,017 vs $1,667 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Dukhan earns 648% less. 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: $482 in Medellin versus $1,395 in Dukhan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Dukhan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,017 per month in Medellin versus $1,667 in Dukhan – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,667 in Dukhan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Dukhan. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin 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 Dukhan 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Dukhan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.