Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ras al-Khaimah Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ras al-Khaimah

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $1,745 in Ras al-Khaimah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $2,761 in Ras al-Khaimah, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $3,777 in Ras al-Khaimah, rent included.

Medellin is about 2% cheaper than Ras al-Khaimah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Medellin and Ras al-Khaimah sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Ras al-Khaimah by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$12.04 AED 44.22

-33.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$45.52 AED 167

6.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$7.48 AED 27.45

30.61%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$5.51 AED 20.24

-47.19%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$1.11 AED 4.07

74.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.44 AED 1.60

245.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$10.06 AED 36.94

-69.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$9.78 AED 35.93

-41.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$1.71 AED 6.29

-20.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$2.06 AED 7.56

16.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$1.88 AED 6.91

-9.57%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$2.42 AED 8.88

18.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$12.50 AED 45.90

-20.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$9.68 AED 35.56

11.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$15.75 AED 57.9

-6.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.99 AED 7.30

105.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$1.59 AED 5.85

-1.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$1.50 AED 5.51

42.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$1.34 AED 4.93

64.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$0.97 AED 3.56

111.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$0.92 AED 3.38

63.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$1.75 AED 6.44

-32.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$0.48 AED 1.75

141.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$6.77 AED 24.87

-42.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$13.66 AED 50.2

5.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$2.52 AED 9.25

-37.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$2.86 AED 10.49

-1.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

$2.13 AED 7.82

-45.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

$112 AED 411

-30.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$1.72 AED 6.30

-25.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$0.79 AED 2.89

164.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$7.96 AED 29.23

8.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$0.89 AED 3.26

46.07%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$46.3K AED 169.9K

-40.22%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$21.8K AED 80.2K

62.64%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$124 AED 456

41.69%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$45.14 AED 166

-70.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$79.6 AED 292

-62.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$57.5 AED 211

-22.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

$40.71 AED 150

-58.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$13.07 AED 48.00

-52.56%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$296 AED 1,086

168.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$4,411 AED 16.2K

104.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$82.5 AED 303

3.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$52.4 AED 192

11.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$127 AED 466

7.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$115 AED 422

-10.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$754 AED 2,768

40.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$581 AED 2,135

16.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$1,642 AED 6,029

22.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$1,268 AED 4,655

-7.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$4,911 AED 18.0K

-16.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,949 AED 7,157

-12.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$1,584 AED 5,818

-58.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.92

122.36%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ras al-Khaimah: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $754 in Ras al-Khaimah. 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 138% higher in Ras al-Khaimah, 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $46.00 in Ras al-Khaimah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $283 – making Ras al-Khaimah 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 Ras al-Khaimah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ras al-Khaimah is pricier by about 2%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,574 per month in Medellin and $2,617 in Ras al-Khaimah. 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $46.00 in Ras al-Khaimah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,716 in Medellin and $1,745 in Ras al-Khaimah. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,716, than in Ras al-Khaimah at $1,745. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ras al-Khaimah it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Ras al-Khaimah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.