Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Koysinjaq Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Koysinjaq

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $690 in Koysinjaq.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,093 in Koysinjaq.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,497 in Koysinjaq.

Living in Medellin is roughly 144% more expensive than in Koysinjaq, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Koysinjaq is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$7.46 IQD 9,765

7.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$44.43 IQD 58.2K

7.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$8.56 IQD 11.2K

15.54%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$3.67 IQD 4,799

-14.71%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.02 IQD 1,336

87.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.42 IQD 549

259.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$6.26 IQD 8,202

-50.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.53 IQD 5,931

26.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.22 IQD 1,598

18.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$0.78 IQD 1,019

219.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.75 IQD 2,288

1.14%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$1.79 IQD 2,347

65.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$8.27 IQD 10.8K

21.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$5.57 IQD 7,291

81.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$14.83 IQD 19.4K

-3.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$1.13 IQD 1,483

266.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.12 IQD 1,465

43.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.18 IQD 1,548

90.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$0.81 IQD 1,054

177.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$0.71 IQD 932

187.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$0.72 IQD 946

113.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$0.79 IQD 1,029

48.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.55 IQD 725

138.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$2.51 IQD 3,282

55.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$12.30 IQD 16.1K

13.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.62 IQD 2,121

7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$2.06 IQD 2,703

39.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$1.95 IQD 2,551

-32.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$1.73 IQD 2,270

26.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$6.41 IQD 8,389

35.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$0.62 IQD 814

120.97%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$18.1K IQD 23.7M

54.07%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$19.6K IQD 25.6M

82.65%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$128 IQD 167.8K

38.36%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$13.79 IQD 18.1K

0.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$28.35 IQD 37.1K

4.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$11.63 IQD 15.2K

-42.82%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$308 IQD 402.9K

164.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$3,106 IQD 4.1M

195.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$30.76 IQD 40.3K

190.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$45.05 IQD 59.0K

30.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$69.0 IQD 90.4K

100.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$69.2 IQD 90.6K

47.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.53

332.41%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Koysinjaq: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $44.00 in Koysinjaq for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $203 per month, with Koysinjaq 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 Koysinjaq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Koysinjaq wins on cost – living expenses run 144% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Koysinjaq the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,035 in Koysinjaq 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% 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 $690 in Koysinjaq – a 144% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $690 in Koysinjaq versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Koysinjaq but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Koysinjaq the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Koysinjaq delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $690 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Koysinjaq hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Koysinjaq gentler on the wallet – expenses run 144% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.