Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Shibin Al Kawm Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Shibin Al Kawm

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $476 in Shibin Al Kawm, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $762 in Shibin Al Kawm, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $1,048 in Shibin Al Kawm, rent included.

Medellin costs about 260% more than Shibin Al Kawm, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Shibin Al Kawm is 65% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.0K

$4.35 E£221

84.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.6K

$11.75 E£598

310.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$4.96 E£253

96.98%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,085

$1.37 E£69.6

112.41%

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

$1.94 COP 6,067

$0.29 E£14.52

568.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,749

$0.11 E£5.58

1281.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,653

$1.35 E£68.7

128.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$2.89 E£147

98.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,257

$0.90 E£45.56

51.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,452

$0.75 E£38.35

218.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,308

$0.66 E£33.80

157.58%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,957

$1.17 E£59.6

145.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.0K

$3.93 E£200

152.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$4.62 E£235

133.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$9.75 E£496

51.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.57 E£79.7

160.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,906

$0.77 E£39.21

103.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,635

$0.54 E£27.29

294.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,910

$0.38 E£19.55

481.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,389

$0.25 E£12.58

720.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,695

$0.31 E£15.52

383.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,714

$0.27 E£13.54

340.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,615

$0.20 E£10.15

480.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.00 E£102

95.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$5.72 E£291

152.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,943

$1.25 E£63.4

26.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,826

$2.72 E£138

4.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,646

$0.17 E£8.43

588.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,009

$0.61 E£31.00

109.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,530

$0.46 E£23.35

354.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$2.00 E£102

331.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,052

$0.48 E£24.52

170.83%

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

$27.7K COP 86.3M

$33.1K E£1.7M

-16.50%

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

$35.5K COP 110.8M

$28.6K E£1.5M

24.24%

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

$176 COP 549.6K

$14.01 E£713

1156.75%

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

$13.37 COP 41.7K

$7.37 E£375

81.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.3K

$13.62 E£693

119.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.7K

$20.57 E£1,046

117.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$2.93 E£149

111.60%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$84.3 E£4,287

841.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$2,188 E£111.3K

312.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.2K

$32.56 E£1,656

162.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.5K

$44.89 E£2,283

30.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.4K

$126 E£6,421

7.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 321.8K

$54.0 E£2,747

90.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$146 E£7,406

627.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$84.4 E£4,292

705.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$285 E£14.5K

604.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.6M

$160 E£8,139

630.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$802 E£40.8K

412.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$474 E£24.1K

258.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

21.33

-48.71%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Shibin Al Kawm: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $146 in Shibin Al Kawm. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $12.00 in Shibin Al Kawm. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $132 – making Shibin Al Kawm 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 Shibin Al Kawm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 260%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. 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 $715 in Shibin Al Kawm. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shibin Al Kawm, 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 $12.00 in Shibin Al Kawm. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 129% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Shibin Al Kawm, where all-in costs run around $476, than in Medellin at $1,716. In Shibin Al Kawm it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Shibin Al Kawm. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.