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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,640 in Dukhan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $2,249 in Dukhan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $2,858 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 25% below, Dukhan is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.9K

$6.73 QAR 24.51

-12.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 105.2K

$54.4 QAR 198

-39.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.7K

$6.94 QAR 25.27

7.06%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.67 QAR 42.47

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.02 QAR 40.10

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,276

$5.00 QAR 18.22

-67.00%

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

$1.10 COP 3,514

$0.79 QAR 2.87

39.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,491

$0.33 QAR 1.21

136.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,484

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.1K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,521

$2.07 QAR 7.52

-46.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,015

$1.62 QAR 5.89

-22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,407

$2.11 QAR 7.69

-34.60%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,950

$2.57 QAR 9.35

-15.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.3K

$11.72 QAR 42.68

-61.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.5K

$7.60 QAR 27.65

-23.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.6K

$10.55 QAR 38.41

-14.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,405

$2.03 QAR 7.40

14.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,397

$1.56 QAR 5.68

-32.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,838

$1.56 QAR 5.69

-2.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,327

$1.38 QAR 5.04

-1.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,599

$1.02 QAR 3.73

10.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,738

$1.08 QAR 3.94

8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,876

$1.33 QAR 4.84

-32.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,861

$0.46 QAR 1.67

95.65%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$10.26 QAR 37.33

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 QAR 6.63

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 QAR 10.57

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,128

$6.51 QAR 23.68

-65.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,793

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,920

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,723

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 132.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,518

$2.14 QAR 7.80

-33.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,223

$2.17 QAR 7.88

-10.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 25.2K

$13.76 QAR 50.1

-42.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,160

$0.57 QAR 2.06

73.68%

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

$17.6K COP 56.2M

$22.4K QAR 81.6K

-21.44%

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

$26.8K COP 85.5M

$20.9K QAR 75.9K

28.46%

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

$83.0 COP 264.9K

$93.9 QAR 342

-11.64%

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

$9.70 COP 30.9K

$37.23 QAR 136

-73.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 75.0K

$87.1 QAR 317

-73.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 80.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.9K

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.6K

$12.31 QAR 44.80

-67.91%

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

$316 COP 1.0M

$789 QAR 2,873

-60.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 19.1M

$11.8K QAR 43.0K

-49.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 191.4K

$62.8 QAR 229

-4.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 101.5K

$56.3 QAR 205

-43.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 324.4K

$102 QAR 372

-0.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 342.8K

$91.6 QAR 333

17.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$1,388 QAR 5,052

-65.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$908 QAR 3,306

-58.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$1,751 QAR 6,375

-51.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$1,139 QAR 4,148

-36.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$4,141 QAR 15.1K

-84.92%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Dukhan: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $1,388 in Dukhan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dukhan pays 563% 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 $54.0 in Dukhan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $209 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 ($1,003 vs $1,640 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 563% lower in Dukhan. 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: $475 in Medellin versus $1,388 in Dukhan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Dukhan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,003 per month in Medellin versus $1,640 in Dukhan – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,640 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.