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: $1,034 in Medellin versus $776 in Halabjah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,130 in Halabjah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,483 in Halabjah.

Living in Medellin is roughly 33% more expensive than Halabjah, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$3.87 IQD 5,068

52.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$19.30 IQD 25.3K

69.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$7.58 IQD 9,935

-5.01%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.92 IQD 2,521

-11.46%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.40 IQD 519

175.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.21 IQD 273

242.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$2.73 IQD 3,572

-38.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.95 IQD 3,868

5.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$0.62 IQD 817

70.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.79 IQD 1,029

58.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.60 IQD 2,090

-13.13%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.57 IQD 2,060

43.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$4.62 IQD 6,054

-6.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$1.94 IQD 2,538

201.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$9.69 IQD 12.7K

-8.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$0.76 IQD 993

194.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.16 IQD 1,524

-6.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$0.75 IQD 977

104.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$0.69 IQD 899

98.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.65 IQD 849

73.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.64 IQD 835

75.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.64 IQD 836

32.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.66 IQD 863

37.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$2.16 IQD 2,824

7.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$13.63 IQD 17.9K

-18.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.80 IQD 2,355

-33.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.00 IQD 1,315

137.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.40 IQD 521

97.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$31.29 IQD 41.0K

31.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$1.49 IQD 1,950

-3.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$1.48 IQD 1,935

29.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$2.32 IQD 3,040

245.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$0.53 IQD 691

77.36%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$20.3K IQD 26.6M

-11.73%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$9,404 IQD 12.3M

184.89%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$153 IQD 200.5K

-45.14%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$11.56 IQD 15.2K

-16.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$30.15 IQD 39.5K

-19.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$36.79 IQD 48.2K

-29.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$16.49 IQD 21.6K

15.46%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$7.55 IQD 9,897

-48.08%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$165 IQD 215.9K

85.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$3,515 IQD 4.6M

68.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$7.43 IQD 9,736

679.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$30.36 IQD 39.8K

4.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$65.0 IQD 85.1K

53.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$43.98 IQD 57.6K

143.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$241 IQD 315.5K

102.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$178 IQD 233.0K

106.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$585 IQD 765.8K

41.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$341 IQD 447.1K

109.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Halabjah: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $241 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 $149 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 33% in total monthly costs ($1,034 vs $776 including rent). Halabjah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,550 in Medellin and $1,164 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: $487 in Medellin versus $241 in Halabjah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% 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 $776 in Halabjah versus $1,034 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 33% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.