Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Janub-as-surrah Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Janub-as-surrah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,263 in Janub-as-surrah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,157 in Janub-as-surrah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $3,051 in Janub-as-surrah.

Living in Medellin is roughly 33% more expensive than in Janub-as-surrah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Janub-as-surrah is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$9.08 KWD 2.79

-11.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$63.0 KWD 19.34

-24.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$8.74 KWD 2.68

13.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 KWD 1.03

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 KWD 1.11

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$5.56 KWD 1.71

-43.71%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.58 KWD 0.18

229.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.32 KWD 0.10

371.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.17 KWD 0.36

23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.83 KWD 0.26

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$2.11 KWD 0.65

-16.11%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.18 KWD 0.67

35.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$4.14 KWD 1.27

143.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$6.24 KWD 1.91

62.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$10.49 KWD 3.22

36.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.41 KWD 0.74

71.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.73 KWD 0.53

-6.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.28 KWD 0.39

75.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.36 KWD 0.42

65.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.23 KWD 0.38

65.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.97 KWD 0.30

58.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.62 KWD 0.50

-27.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.53 KWD 0.16

147.17%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.88 KWD 0.88

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 KWD 0.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.74 KWD 0.84

42.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.78 KWD 0.24

56.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$3.17 KWD 0.97

-58.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$3.15 KWD 0.97

-30.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$16.10 KWD 4.94

-45.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.34 KWD 0.11

302.94%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$22.4K KWD 6,874

24.32%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$20.3K KWD 6,241

75.96%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$59.4 KWD 18.22

198.69%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$20.98 KWD 6.44

-33.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$27.86 KWD 8.55

6.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$85.3 KWD 26.18

-47.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$9.95 KWD 3.05

-33.17%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$295 KWD 90.4

175.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$8,583 KWD 2,635

7.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$35.17 KWD 10.80

154.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$34.85 KWD 10.70

69.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$87.4 KWD 26.82

58.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$85.9 KWD 26.37

18.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$709 KWD 218

49.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$525 KWD 161

26.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,579 KWD 485

19.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$1,403 KWD 431

-26.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.53

67.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Janub-as-surrah: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $709 in Janub-as-surrah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $63.0 in Janub-as-surrah. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $165, with Janub-as-surrah cheaper for home cooking.

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 Janub-as-surrah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Janub-as-surrah wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Janub-as-surrah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,894 in Janub-as-surrah 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $709 in Janub-as-surrah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $1,263 in Janub-as-surrah – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,263 in Janub-as-surrah versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Janub-as-surrah but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Janub-as-surrah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Janub-as-surrah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,263 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Janub-as-surrah hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Janub-as-surrah 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 Janub-as-surrah 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.