Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kirkuk Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kirkuk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $591 in Kirkuk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $947 in Kirkuk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,303 in Kirkuk.

Living in Medellin is roughly 75% more expensive than Kirkuk, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Kirkuk 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$3.74 IQD 4,904

58.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$25.51 IQD 33.4K

28.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$5.59 IQD 7,322

28.80%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.26 IQD 2,967

-24.78%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.36 IQD 478

205.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.21 IQD 269

242.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$3.38 IQD 4,431

-50.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.89 IQD 3,780

7.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.15 IQD 1,506

-7.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.61 IQD 804

104.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.58 IQD 2,066

-12.03%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.45 IQD 1,896

55.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$4.37 IQD 5,722

-0.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$2.84 IQD 3,714

105.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$11.15 IQD 14.6K

-20.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$0.92 IQD 1,205

143.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.07 IQD 1,397

0.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.03 IQD 1,347

48.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$0.59 IQD 777

132.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.50 IQD 653

126.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.50 IQD 661

124.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.63 IQD 827

34.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.33 IQD 434

175.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$1.86 IQD 2,439

25.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$13.35 IQD 17.5K

-16.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.83 IQD 2,394

-34.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.11 IQD 2,763

12.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.53 IQD 692

49.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$31.69 IQD 41.5K

29.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$2.92 IQD 3,822

-50.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$1.15 IQD 1,509

66.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$7.69 IQD 10.1K

4.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$0.54 IQD 707

74.07%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$20.4K IQD 26.7M

-11.98%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$20.2K IQD 26.4M

32.89%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$53.3 IQD 69.8K

57.52%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$22.83 IQD 29.9K

-57.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$38.06 IQD 49.9K

-36.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$14.76 IQD 19.3K

75.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$16.50 IQD 21.6K

15.39%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$7.66 IQD 10.0K

-48.83%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$58.0 IQD 76.0K

428.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$788 IQD 1.0M

651.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$28.59 IQD 37.5K

102.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$30.57 IQD 40.0K

4.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$23.18 IQD 30.4K

330.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$15.28 IQD 20.0K

601.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$73.9 IQD 96.8K

558.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$108 IQD 141.7K

240.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$116 IQD 152.2K

610.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$249 IQD 325.6K

188.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$887 IQD 1.2M

229.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$406 IQD 531.4K

246.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$636 IQD 833.0K

-14.20%

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 Kirkuk: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $73.9 in Kirkuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kirkuk pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $26.00 in Kirkuk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $158 per month, with Kirkuk 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 Kirkuk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kirkuk is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 75% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Kirkuk earns 17% 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: $487 in Medellin versus $73.9 in Kirkuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Medellin versus $58.0 in Kirkuk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $591 in Kirkuk versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kirkuk but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kirkuk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kirkuk is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Kirkuk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.