Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lusail Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lusail

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,028 per month in Medellin vs $2,116 in Lusail, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in Medellin vs $3,556 in Lusail, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,144 per month in Medellin vs $4,995 in Lusail, rent included.

Medellin is about 51% cheaper than Lusail, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Medellin sits 23% below the global median, while Lusail is 59% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$7.00 QAR 25.49

-14.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.5K

$54.8 QAR 199

-40.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.4K

$6.73 QAR 24.51

10.25%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.70 QAR 42.58

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.05 QAR 40.24

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,659

$4.95 QAR 18.01

-66.67%

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

$1.07 COP 3,663

$0.83 QAR 3.03

28.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,607

$0.31 QAR 1.12

145.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,908

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,597

$2.14 QAR 7.79

-50.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,479

$1.62 QAR 5.89

-19.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,591

$1.40 QAR 5.11

-4.29%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,521

$2.55 QAR 9.30

-14.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.1K

$11.36 QAR 41.36

-61.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.5K

$7.94 QAR 28.91

-28.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.2K

$10.49 QAR 38.20

-18.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,023

$2.00 QAR 7.28

17.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,804

$1.62 QAR 5.91

-31.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,210

$1.58 QAR 5.75

-3.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,680

$0.57 QAR 2.09

140.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,950

$0.56 QAR 2.04

105.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,043

$0.53 QAR 1.95

122.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,885

$1.37 QAR 5.00

-38.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,931

$0.48 QAR 1.75

79.17%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.48 QAR 34.49

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 QAR 6.78

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 QAR 10.62

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,753

$6.25 QAR 22.74

-63.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.8K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,109

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,484

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,721

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,023

$2.25 QAR 8.20

-34.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,568

$2.13 QAR 7.75

-9.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.6K

$13.96 QAR 50.8

-44.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,464

$0.55 QAR 2.01

83.64%

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

$17.7K COP 60.5M

$23.0K QAR 83.7K

-23.17%

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

$26.5K COP 90.7M

$20.6K QAR 74.9K

28.59%

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

$81.1 COP 277.9K

$91.6 QAR 333

-11.44%

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

$9.43 COP 32.3K

$37.01 QAR 135

-74.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 81.8K

$88.8 QAR 323

-73.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.1K

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.0K

$12.13 QAR 44.16

-66.28%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$787 QAR 2,866

-60.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.6M

$11.6K QAR 42.3K

-48.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 204.6K

$61.2 QAR 223

-2.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.6K

$54.7 QAR 199

-41.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 346.9K

$102 QAR 370

-0.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 360.3K

$91.7 QAR 334

14.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$2,099 QAR 7,641

-76.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$1,393 QAR 5,071

-73.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$4,581 QAR 16.7K

-81.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$3,280 QAR 11.9K

-77.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

$1,369 QAR 4,982

-59.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

6.08

120.89%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Lusail: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $485 in Medellin versus $2,099 in Lusail. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 148% higher in Lusail, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $55.0 in Lusail. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $202 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Lusail: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,028 in Medellin, $2,116 in Lusail – roughly 106% apart. Lusail costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,542 per month in Medellin and $3,174 in Lusail. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $55.0 in Lusail. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Lusail, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,028, than in Lusail at $2,116. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lusail it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,028 in Medellin to $2,116 in Lusail. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lusail makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.