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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $760 in Lusail, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,301 in Lusail, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $1,842 in Lusail, rent included.

Medellin costs about 121% more than Lusail, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Lusail is 44% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$8.18 QAR 29.77

-1.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$69.1 QAR 252

-30.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$8.30 QAR 30.22

19.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.39 QAR 30.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 QAR 35.86

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$5.39 QAR 19.60

-41.93%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$0.81 QAR 2.94

135.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.27 QAR 0.97

459.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$2.15 QAR 7.83

-33.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$1.46 QAR 5.31

70.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$1.34 QAR 4.89

32.09%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$3.28 QAR 11.92

-9.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$11.18 QAR 40.69

-9.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$8.23 QAR 29.96

22.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$11.53 QAR 41.95

24.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$2.19 QAR 7.98

89.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.78 QAR 6.49

-9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$1.50 QAR 5.45

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$0.54 QAR 1.95

316.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$0.57 QAR 2.09

257.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$0.57 QAR 2.08

170.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$1.45 QAR 5.26

-19.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$0.55 QAR 1.99

138.18%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.40 QAR 34.22

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 QAR 6.99

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 QAR 8.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$6.66 QAR 24.26

-41.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$1.94 QAR 7.07

-32.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$2.09 QAR 7.62

4.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$13.50 QAR 49.16

-35.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$0.54 QAR 1.98

153.70%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$27.1K QAR 98.8K

2.60%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$22.2K QAR 80.7K

61.36%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$87.5 QAR 319

102.58%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$35.88 QAR 131

-61.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$85.8 QAR 312

-65.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$12.29 QAR 44.73

-45.89%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$680 QAR 2,474

19.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$9,957 QAR 36.2K

-7.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$61.4 QAR 224

45.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$52.0 QAR 189

13.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$107 QAR 389

29.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$87.6 QAR 319

16.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

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 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

$1,357 QAR 4,941

-50.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.88

86.05%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Lusail: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 100% higher in Lusail, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $69.0 in Lusail. Groceries tell a different story – $305 in Medellin vs $209 in Lusail – so Lusail wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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: $1,681 in Medellin, $760 in Lusail – roughly 121% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,140 in Lusail. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $69.0 in Lusail. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lusail, where all-in costs run around $760, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Lusail it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin 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 $760 in Lusail to $1,681 in Medellin. 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 Lusail. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.