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 $1,031 per month in Medellin vs $464 in Shibin Al Kawm, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,599 per month in Medellin vs $757 in Shibin Al Kawm, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in Medellin vs $1,050 in Shibin Al Kawm, rent included.

Medellin costs about 122% more than Shibin Al Kawm, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and Shibin Al Kawm are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Shibin Al Kawm 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$3.65 E£186

68.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$15.90 E£811

105.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$4.71 E£241

55.84%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$1.49 E£76.2

15.44%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.31 E£16.01

238.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.10 E£5.17

670.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$1.17 E£59.6

44.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$3.02 E£154

4.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$0.82 E£41.73

28.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.79 E£40.18

64.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$0.66 E£33.90

112.12%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$1.39 E£71.2

55.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$4.00 E£204

9.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$4.34 E£222

35.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$9.75 E£498

-11.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$1.49 E£76.1

53.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$0.55 E£27.92

101.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$0.42 E£21.62

264.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$0.39 E£20.02

246.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.40 E£20.64

182.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.41 E£20.81

175.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.24 E£12.28

254.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.19 E£9.78

378.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$1.97 E£100

18.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$5.95 E£304

107.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.41 E£71.8

-14.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$2.64 E£135

-5.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.19 E£9.86

342.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$0.55 E£28.18

158.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.42 E£21.54

357.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$2.00 E£102

283.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$0.33 E£16.89

200.00%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$34.9K E£1.8M

-48.27%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$33.3K E£1.7M

-19.99%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$11.16 E£570

624.10%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$5.62 E£287

77.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$9.96 E£508

142.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$22.26 E£1,136

12.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$3.00 E£153

32.67%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$87.4 E£4,460

249.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$1,876 E£95.8K

222.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$27.05 E£1,381

114.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$49.27 E£2,515

-34.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$108 E£5,527

-6.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$51.1 E£2,608

110.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$189 E£9,659

151.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$99.3 E£5,070

278.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$315 E£16.1K

168.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$179 E£9,156

307.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$696 E£35.5K

361.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$425 E£21.7K

222.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-21.00%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Shibin Al Kawm: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $477 in Medellin versus $189 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $16.00 in Shibin Al Kawm. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $131 – 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 122%, 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 $1,546 per month in Medellin and $696 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 $33.00 in Medellin and $16.00 in Shibin Al Kawm. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 47% 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 $464, than in Medellin at $1,031. 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.