Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Salmiya

For one person, living costs are similar in Medellin and in Salmiya: $1,625 and $1,633 a month, rent and utilities included.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Salmiya
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Salmiya Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Salmiya

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,633

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Salmiya

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 Salmiya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $1,633 in Salmiya, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Salmiya $1,633

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $2,420 in Salmiya, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Salmiya $2,420

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $3,208 in Salmiya, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Salmiya $3,208

Medellin is about 1% cheaper than Salmiya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Salmiya sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Salmiya by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$9.53 KWD 2.94

-12.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$47.53 KWD 14.64

-1.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$8.19 KWD 2.52

12.82%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 KWD 0.72

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 KWD 0.78

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$5.16 KWD 1.59

-40.89%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.45 KWD 0.14

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.31 KWD 0.10

345.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.59 KWD 0.49

-5.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$0.67 KWD 0.21

253.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.98 KWD 0.61

-14.14%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.06 KWD 0.63

43.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$4.34 KWD 1.34

135.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$6.76 KWD 2.08

44.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$10.27 KWD 3.17

35.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$2.51 KWD 0.77

64.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.94 KWD 0.60

-21.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$1.72 KWD 0.53

29.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.55 KWD 0.48

46.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.35 KWD 0.42

47.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.48 KWD 0.46

12.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$2.33 KWD 0.72

-49.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.47 KWD 0.14

163.83%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.94 KWD 0.29

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 KWD 0.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$2.79 KWD 0.86

38.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$1.11 KWD 0.34

11.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$48.63 KWD 14.98

60.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$3.26 KWD 1.00

-60.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$3.23 KWD 1.00

-33.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$10.32 KWD 3.18

-18.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$0.33 KWD 0.10

309.09%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$23.5K KWD 7,253

47.66%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$19.7K KWD 6,063

76.26%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$48.23 KWD 14.86

245.53%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$22.71 KWD 7.00

-40.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$30.34 KWD 9.35

-4.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$149 KWD 45.89

-69.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$15.79 KWD 4.87

8.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$11.47 KWD 3.53

-39.23%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$303 KWD 93.5

160.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$7,426 KWD 2,288

21.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$37.43 KWD 11.53

134.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$40.08 KWD 12.35

45.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$97.4 KWD 30.00

42.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$88.8 KWD 27.35

11.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$1,069 KWD 329

-3.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$826 KWD 254

-24.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$2,370 KWD 730

-20.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$1,302 KWD 401

-22.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$2,169 KWD 668

-69.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.53

67.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Salmiya: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Salmiya

$826 50.6% 33.3% $206

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Salmiya

$177 10.9% 40.5% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Salmiya

$101 6.2% 51.6% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Salmiya

$119 7.3% 31.3% $54

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Salmiya

$166 10.2% 3% $5

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Salmiya

$72 4.4% 23.8% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Salmiya

$172 10.5% 191% $113

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,069 in Salmiya. 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 227% higher in Salmiya, 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $48.00 in Salmiya. Groceries tell a different story – $298 in Medellin vs $177 in Salmiya – so Salmiya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇰🇼 Salmiya

🕒 Local time

15:30 3:30 PM

23:30 11:30 PM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

309,960

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Kuwaiti Dinar KWD د.ك

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 KWD = 3.25 USD

1 KWD = 2.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KWD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Kuwaiti Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.308 KWD (1 KWD = 3.25 USD). 1 EUR = 0.346 KWD (1 KWD = 2.89 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Salmiya 12,820 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Salmiya

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 Salmiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Salmiya is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $2,449 in Salmiya. 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 $47.00 in Medellin and $48.00 in Salmiya. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $1,633 in Salmiya. That's a gap of about 1%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Salmiya at $1,633. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Salmiya 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, Salmiya makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.