Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mashhad Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mashhad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $846 in Mashhad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,280 in Mashhad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,715 in Mashhad.

Living in Medellin is roughly 20% more expensive than Mashhad, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Mashhad 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$5.27 IQD 6,898

12.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$36.40 IQD 47.7K

-8.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$7.84 IQD 10.3K

-7.78%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.95 IQD 3,858

-44.75%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.37 IQD 483

194.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.18 IQD 234

305.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$3.50 IQD 4,577

-50.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.79 IQD 3,648

15.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.33 IQD 1,741

-21.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.85 IQD 1,111

51.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.64 IQD 2,151

-19.51%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$0.88 IQD 1,146

157.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$4.55 IQD 5,952

-4.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$1.98 IQD 2,591

196.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$2.91 IQD 3,815

195.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$1.03 IQD 1,346

118.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.21 IQD 1,588

-11.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.02 IQD 1,332

49.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$0.72 IQD 944

97.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$0.68 IQD 894

72.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.64 IQD 836

82.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.31 IQD 410

187.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.18 IQD 234

400.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$0.82 IQD 1,076

174.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$13.74 IQD 18.0K

-19.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.77 IQD 2,319

-35.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$2.09 IQD 2,739

13.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.36 IQD 478

133.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$30.92 IQD 40.5K

35.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$3.74 IQD 4,891

-62.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$1.48 IQD 1,942

28.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$7.71 IQD 10.1K

0.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$0.57 IQD 752

77.19%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$19.9K IQD 26.1M

-11.67%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$19.8K IQD 25.9M

33.95%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$175 IQD 228.7K

-52.09%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$25.69 IQD 33.6K

-63.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$41.27 IQD 54.0K

-41.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$36.23 IQD 47.4K

-30.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$16.85 IQD 22.1K

13.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$7.81 IQD 10.2K

-47.50%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$163 IQD 212.9K

91.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$3,529 IQD 4.6M

69.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$28.31 IQD 37.1K

105.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$30.46 IQD 39.9K

6.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$65.1 IQD 85.2K

53.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$43.88 IQD 57.5K

147.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$243 IQD 318.3K

98.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$179 IQD 233.8K

112.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$579 IQD 758.4K

44.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$349 IQD 457.4K

107.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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 Mashhad: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $243 in Mashhad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $36.00 in Mashhad. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $131, with Mashhad cheaper for home cooking.

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 Mashhad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Mashhad differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,017 vs $846 including rent). Mashhad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,525 in Medellin and $1,269 in Mashhad 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Medellin versus $243 in Mashhad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $163 in Mashhad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $846 in Mashhad versus $1,017 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mashhad but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Mashhad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Mashhad are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mashhad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.