Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Qazvin

For one person, living is cheaper in Qazvin: $644 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Qazvin, Iran
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Qazvin
🇮🇷 Iran
$644
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Qazvin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Qazvin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $644 in Qazvin, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Qazvin $644

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $923 in Qazvin, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Qazvin $923

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,202 in Qazvin, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Qazvin $1,202

Medellin costs about 155% more than Qazvin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Qazvin is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Qazvin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.6K
$3.43 $3.43
135.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.9K
$15.98 $15.98
194.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.1K
$3.41 $3.41
178.59%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$0.67 $0.67
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.48 $1.48
-
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,540
$1.27 $1.27
137.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,693
$0.41 $0.41
339.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,469
$1.72 $1.72
-18.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.0K
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.2K
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Qazvin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,778
$0.48 $0.48
214.58%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,524
$0.31 $0.31
667.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,606
$2.72 $2.72
-34.93%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,146
$0.91 $0.91
217.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.2K
$4.35 $4.35
134.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.2K
$2.06 $2.06
379.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.3K
$7.57 $7.57
84.81%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.6K
$0.48 $0.48
727.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,911
$1.02 $1.02
51.96%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,907
$0.71 $0.71
207.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,910
$0.51 $0.51
327.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,210
$0.51 $0.51
284.31%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,029
$0.48 $0.48
231.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,625
$0.49 $0.49
134.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,934
$0.29 $0.29
327.59%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$0.81 $0.81
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.52 $0.52
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.16 $2.16
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$2.55 $2.55
55.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.3K
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,252
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,145
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Qazvin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,696
$0.13 $0.13
800.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 244.8K
$9.65 $9.65
701.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,013
$0.18 $0.18
605.56%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,480
$0.31 $0.31
561.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.1K
$1.98 $1.98
331.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,262
$0.08 $0.08
1587.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.8M
$42.6K $42.6K
-20.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.7M
$45.3K $45.3K
-23.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Qazvin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 536.8K
$12.88 $12.88
1217.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.9K
$1.61 $1.61
741.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.8K
$3.99 $3.99
603.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Qazvin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 138.3K
$12.38 $12.38
252.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.4K
$9.95 $9.95
72.76%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.9K
$1.02 $1.02
577.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Qazvin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$30.07 $30.07
2549.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.8M
$761 $761
1097.18%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Qazvin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 268.1K
$26.54 $26.54
219.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 183.4K
$27.51 $27.51
110.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 427.1K
$98.4 $98.4
37.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 309.7K
$50.6 $50.6
93.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Qazvin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
$509 $509
137.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
$356 $356
80.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
$698 $698
190.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
$497 $497
103.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.2M
$1,145 $1,145
264.31%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
$527 $527
262.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Qazvin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$311 $311
111.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
18
-39.22%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Qazvin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Qazvin
$356 44.6% $286
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Qazvin
$90 69.6% $207
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Qazvin
$18 91.3% $193
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Qazvin
$61 63.8% $108
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Qazvin
$91 45.9% $78
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Qazvin
$12 87.2% $82
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Qazvin
$14 75% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $509 in Qazvin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 2.1 times higher, 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 $47 in Medellin versus $16 in Qazvin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $90 – making Qazvin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇮🇷 Qazvin
🕒 Local time
00:06 12:06 AM
08:36 8:36 AM
8 h 30 min ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
402,748
💱 Currency
USD USD
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Qazvin 12,640 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Qazvin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Qazvin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Qazvin cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 155%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $965 in Qazvin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Qazvin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $509 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Qazvin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $16 in Qazvin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Qazvin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $644 in Qazvin. That makes Qazvin about 61% cheaper.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Qazvin?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Qazvin, where all-in costs run around $644, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Qazvin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Qazvin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Qazvin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Qazvin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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