Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sharjah

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,589 a month against $1,841 in Sharjah, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Sharjah outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Sharjah
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Sharjah Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Sharjah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,841

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Sharjah

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $1,841 in Sharjah, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Sharjah $1,841

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $2,576 in Sharjah, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Sharjah $2,576

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $3,312 in Sharjah, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Sharjah $3,312

Medellin is about 14% cheaper than Sharjah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Medellin and Sharjah sit above the global median – Medellin by 19%, Sharjah by 37%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

$5.97 AED 21.92

34.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.3K

$32.91 AED 121

41.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$8.29 AED 30.45

13.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.54 AED 35.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.35 AED 34.35

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,277

$3.82 AED 14.02

-23.82%

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

$1.75 COP 5,585

$0.80 AED 2.93

118.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,218

$0.29 AED 1.05

355.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

$1.54 AED 5.64

-8.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$1.19 AED 4.38

105.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

$1.83 AED 6.71

-10.93%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

$3.21 AED 11.80

-12.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

$8.64 AED 31.73

12.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$6.63 AED 24.36

40.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

$11.46 AED 42.09

17.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$2.27 AED 8.33

76.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

$1.67 AED 6.12

-11.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

$1.30 AED 4.78

63.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

$1.28 AED 4.72

75.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

$1.03 AED 3.79

85.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

$1.12 AED 4.12

44.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

$1.43 AED 5.26

-19.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

$0.61 AED 2.23

106.56%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.53 AED 57.0

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 AED 8.88

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 AED 9.50

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$6.31 AED 23.19

-39.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

$2.16 AED 7.92

-45.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

$27.07 AED 99.4

177.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,056

$3.65 AED 13.42

-65.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,531

$0.52 AED 1.91

294.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

$12.07 AED 44.33

-32.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,046

$0.94 AED 3.46

35.11%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

$45.2K AED 166.0K

-40.76%

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

$34.4K COP 109.6M

$22.0K AED 80.9K

56.22%

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

$162 COP 516.9K

$208 AED 766

-22.20%

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

$49.40 AED 181

-73.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

$96.1 AED 353

-70.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.2K

$53.5 AED 196

-17.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.0K

$22.29 AED 81.9

-26.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$13.54 AED 49.72

-55.02%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$325 AED 1,194

135.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

$8,433 AED 31.0K

5.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

$57.6 AED 212

47.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

$78.0 AED 286

-26.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

$109 AED 401

20.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

$96.1 AED 353

-0.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$823 AED 3,024

24.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$906 AED 3,329

-33.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

$1,797 AED 6,598

0.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$1,402 AED 5,148

-29.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

$8,241 AED 30.3K

-52.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

$2,748 AED 10.1K

-40.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$2,191 AED 8,045

-71.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.5

143.11%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Sharjah

$906 49% 50% $302

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Sharjah

$192 10.4% 33.4% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Sharjah

$354 19.1% 74% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Sharjah

$153 8.3% 7.9% $13

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Sharjah

$123 6.6% 26.2% $44

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Sharjah

$42 2.3% 54% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Sharjah

$81 4.4% 42.6% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $823 in Sharjah. 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 250% higher in Sharjah, 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 $33.00 in Sharjah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $192 – making Sharjah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇦🇪 Sharjah

🕒 Local time

08:06 8:06 AM

17:06 5:06 PM

9 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,400,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,571 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Sharjah 13,660 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Sharjah

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 Sharjah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sharjah is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $2,761 in Sharjah. 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 $33.00 in Sharjah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Medellin and $1,841 in Sharjah. That's a gap of about 16%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,589, than in Sharjah at $1,841. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sharjah 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, Sharjah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.