Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Halabjah Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Halabjah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,028 in Medellin versus $777 in Halabjah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,132 in Halabjah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $1,488 in Halabjah.

Living in Medellin is roughly 32% more expensive than in Halabjah, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Halabjah 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$3.91 IQD 5,114

53.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.9K

$18.82 IQD 24.6K

74.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.5K

$7.83 IQD 10.3K

-5.24%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,675

$1.86 IQD 2,434

-11.29%

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

$1.07 COP 3,673

$0.39 IQD 514

174.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,614

$0.18 IQD 234

322.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,925

$2.65 IQD 3,467

-35.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$2.85 IQD 3,734

12.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,607

$0.59 IQD 767

77.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,492

$0.80 IQD 1,043

63.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,604

$1.58 IQD 2,074

-15.19%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,543

$1.52 IQD 1,987

44.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.2K

$4.52 IQD 5,924

-2.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.6K

$1.87 IQD 2,454

204.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.3K

$9.99 IQD 13.1K

-14.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,046

$0.74 IQD 970

216.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,815

$1.17 IQD 1,530

-5.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,225

$0.80 IQD 1,046

90.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,694

$0.70 IQD 914

95.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,962

$0.66 IQD 858

74.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,055

$0.63 IQD 819

87.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,893

$0.62 IQD 809

35.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,940

$0.61 IQD 798

40.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,776

$2.12 IQD 2,779

6.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.9K

$13.46 IQD 17.6K

-13.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,121

$1.84 IQD 2,408

-34.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,508

$0.99 IQD 1,294

150.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,729

$0.39 IQD 513

102.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 140.4K

$31.18 IQD 40.8K

30.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,038

$1.54 IQD 2,021

-4.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,587

$1.55 IQD 2,025

23.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.7K

$2.36 IQD 3,095

229.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,474

$0.53 IQD 694

90.57%

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

$17.7K COP 60.7M

$20.3K IQD 26.6M

-13.01%

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

$26.5K COP 90.9M

$9,471 IQD 12.4M

179.32%

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

$81.1 COP 278.8K

$155 IQD 203.2K

-47.73%

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

$9.43 COP 32.4K

$11.39 IQD 14.9K

-17.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 82.0K

$29.84 IQD 39.1K

-20.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.4K

$36.80 IQD 48.2K

-29.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.3K

$16.87 IQD 22.1K

10.91%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.1K

$7.69 IQD 10.1K

-46.81%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$167 IQD 218.4K

88.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.7M

$3,564 IQD 4.7M

68.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 205.2K

$7.58 IQD 9,929

687.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.9K

$31.04 IQD 40.6K

3.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 347.9K

$65.7 IQD 86.1K

54.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 361.3K

$42.58 IQD 55.8K

146.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$238 IQD 311.1K

104.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$176 IQD 231.0K

106.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$586 IQD 766.8K

41.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$341 IQD 446.2K

114.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

5.67

136.86%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Halabjah: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $238 in Halabjah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $19.00 in Halabjah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $148 per month, with Halabjah 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 Halabjah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Halabjah differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,028 vs $777 including rent). Halabjah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,542 in Medellin and $1,166 in Halabjah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $485 in Medellin versus $238 in Halabjah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Halabjah – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $777 in Halabjah versus $1,028 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Halabjah but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Halabjah 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.

Expats usually find Halabjah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.