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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $607 in Kirkuk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $958 in Kirkuk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,309 in Kirkuk.

Living in Medellin is roughly 65% more expensive than in Kirkuk, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Kirkuk 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$3.79 IQD 4,960

55.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$26.08 IQD 34.1K

26.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$5.83 IQD 7,629

27.44%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$2.34 IQD 3,067

-29.49%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$0.37 IQD 480

197.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.19 IQD 246

310.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$3.41 IQD 4,470

-49.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$2.85 IQD 3,726

11.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$1.18 IQD 1,549

-6.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$0.61 IQD 793

106.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$1.65 IQD 2,156

-16.36%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$1.48 IQD 1,936

47.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$4.48 IQD 5,871

0.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$2.79 IQD 3,652

107.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$10.85 IQD 14.2K

-17.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$0.97 IQD 1,273

139.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$1.01 IQD 1,323

4.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$1.03 IQD 1,346

47.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$0.61 IQD 794

122.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$0.50 IQD 658

126.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$0.54 IQD 707

116.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$0.62 IQD 812

45.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.31 IQD 405

190.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$1.88 IQD 2,464

18.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$13.56 IQD 17.8K

-10.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$1.78 IQD 2,335

-33.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$2.10 IQD 2,755

18.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.56 IQD 732

51.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

$30.90 IQD 40.5K

34.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$2.96 IQD 3,870

-52.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$1.15 IQD 1,512

69.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$7.44 IQD 9,744

6.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$0.50 IQD 660

98.00%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$20.0K IQD 26.2M

-11.95%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$19.6K IQD 25.6M

36.84%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$53.5 IQD 70.1K

55.16%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$22.95 IQD 30.0K

-57.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$38.62 IQD 50.6K

-39.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$14.45 IQD 18.9K

74.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

$16.99 IQD 22.3K

12.42%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$7.46 IQD 9,774

-47.05%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$57.6 IQD 75.4K

448.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$778 IQD 1.0M

667.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$28.62 IQD 37.5K

109.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$31.11 IQD 40.7K

2.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$22.70 IQD 29.7K

347.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$15.14 IQD 19.8K

609.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$76.3 IQD 99.9K

522.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$109 IQD 143.3K

241.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$116 IQD 152.4K

629.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$254 IQD 332.4K

183.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$880 IQD 1.2M

270.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$399 IQD 522.1K

261.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$635 IQD 831.5K

-1.66%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kirkuk: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $76.3 in Kirkuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kirkuk pays 2% 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 $193 vs $157 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 65% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Kirkuk. 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 $76.3 in Kirkuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Medellin versus $57.6 in Kirkuk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $607 in Kirkuk versus $1,003 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 65% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.