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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $633 in Kirkuk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,002 in Kirkuk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,372 in Kirkuk.

Living in Medellin is roughly 166% more expensive than in Kirkuk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Kirkuk is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$4.18 IQD 5,472

91.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$26.43 IQD 34.6K

81.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$6.04 IQD 7,911

63.74%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.35 IQD 3,076

33.19%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.39 IQD 516

389.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.25 IQD 328

504.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$3.86 IQD 5,054

-19.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.91 IQD 5,121

47.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.09 IQD 1,425

32.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.65 IQD 850

283.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.55 IQD 2,031

14.19%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.53 IQD 2,002

93.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$3.79 IQD 4,963

165.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$3.68 IQD 4,821

175.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$12.80 IQD 16.8K

11.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$0.81 IQD 1,061

411.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$0.92 IQD 1,208

75.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$0.90 IQD 1,176

150.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.68 IQD 895

230.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.53 IQD 701

284.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.54 IQD 703

185.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.61 IQD 804

91.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.34 IQD 446

285.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$1.79 IQD 2,343

117.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$13.44 IQD 17.6K

4.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.51 IQD 1,982

15.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.89 IQD 2,469

51.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.40 IQD 522

205.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$23.41 IQD 30.7K

243.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$2.25 IQD 2,943

-41.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.48 IQD 1,944

47.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$7.46 IQD 9,764

16.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.54 IQD 704

153.70%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$19.2K IQD 25.1M

45.18%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$19.1K IQD 25.0M

87.24%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$53.9 IQD 70.5K

229.25%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$21.46 IQD 28.1K

-35.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$42.64 IQD 55.8K

-30.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$11.25 IQD 14.7K

298.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$10.62 IQD 13.9K

-37.38%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$171 IQD 223.5K

376.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$3,434 IQD 4.5M

167.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$30.15 IQD 39.5K

196.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$19.18 IQD 25.1K

207.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$74.2 IQD 97.2K

86.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$34.21 IQD 44.8K

198.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$190 IQD 248.7K

459.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$90.7 IQD 118.8K

630.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$233 IQD 305.5K

709.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$225 IQD 294.4K

356.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$574 IQD 752.2K

628.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$308 IQD 403.0K

444.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$442 IQD 579.2K

53.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.12

165.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Kirkuk: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $190 in Kirkuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 53% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $26.00 in Kirkuk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $162 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 166% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 53% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $190 in Kirkuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $171 in Kirkuk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 88% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $633 in Kirkuk versus $1,681 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 166% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.