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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $609 in Kirkuk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $960 in Kirkuk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,311 in Kirkuk.

Living in Medellin is roughly 67% more expensive than Kirkuk, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Kirkuk 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$3.80 IQD 4,974

56.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$25.74 IQD 33.7K

29.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$5.76 IQD 7,540

25.52%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.34 IQD 3,064

-30.34%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.39 IQD 512

179.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.18 IQD 235

305.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$3.41 IQD 4,468

-48.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.89 IQD 3,782

11.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.14 IQD 1,498

-7.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.61 IQD 796

111.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.67 IQD 2,182

-20.96%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.48 IQD 1,941

53.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$4.58 IQD 5,997

-5.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$2.85 IQD 3,727

106.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$10.79 IQD 14.1K

-20.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$0.90 IQD 1,180

150.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.02 IQD 1,334

4.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$0.99 IQD 1,296

53.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$0.64 IQD 843

121.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$0.49 IQD 643

138.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.50 IQD 651

134.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.63 IQD 830

41.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.31 IQD 401

190.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$1.86 IQD 2,440

20.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$13.54 IQD 17.7K

-18.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.76 IQD 2,311

-35.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$2.11 IQD 2,760

12.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.56 IQD 727

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$31.66 IQD 41.5K

32.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$2.93 IQD 3,832

-51.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$1.11 IQD 1,451

71.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$7.64 IQD 10.0K

1.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$0.53 IQD 697

90.57%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$20.4K IQD 26.7M

-13.75%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$20.3K IQD 26.6M

30.64%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$52.7 IQD 69.0K

58.82%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$23.40 IQD 30.6K

-59.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$38.76 IQD 50.8K

-37.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$14.67 IQD 19.2K

72.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$17.09 IQD 22.4K

12.00%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$7.50 IQD 9,819

-45.33%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$58.8 IQD 77.0K

430.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$780 IQD 1.0M

668.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$28.28 IQD 37.0K

105.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$30.17 IQD 39.5K

7.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$23.14 IQD 30.3K

330.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$14.72 IQD 19.3K

637.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$73.8 IQD 96.7K

553.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$109 IQD 142.1K

249.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$113 IQD 147.8K

642.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$252 IQD 329.5K

187.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$866 IQD 1.1M

227.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$398 IQD 520.7K

207.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$631 IQD 826.1K

-14.26%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Kirkuk: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $73.8 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 $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 67% 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: $482 in Medellin versus $73.8 in Kirkuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $58.8 in Kirkuk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $609 in Kirkuk versus $1,017 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 67% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.