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 $1,013 per month in Medellin vs $476 in Shibin Al Kawm, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $755 in Shibin Al Kawm, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,192 per month in Medellin vs $1,033 in Shibin Al Kawm, rent included.

Medellin costs about 113% more than Shibin Al Kawm, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and Shibin Al Kawm are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Shibin Al Kawm 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$3.50 E£182

71.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$16.08 E£835

104.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$4.77 E£248

48.64%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$1.45 E£75.1

17.93%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$0.31 E£16.28

254.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.11 E£5.95

609.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$1.22 E£63.3

37.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$2.92 E£152

5.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$0.80 E£41.42

36.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$0.74 E£38.57

70.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$0.65 E£33.79

112.31%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$1.38 E£71.6

58.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$3.83 E£199

14.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$4.41 E£229

27.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$9.39 E£487

-5.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$1.49 E£77.1

57.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$0.59 E£30.38

79.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$0.40 E£20.51

275.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$0.39 E£20.40

253.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$0.41 E£21.22

180.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$0.44 E£22.60

163.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$0.22 E£11.37

304.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.20 E£10.19

320.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$1.93 E£100

18.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$5.71 E£296

86.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$1.36 E£70.8

-11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$2.59 E£135

-4.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.17 E£8.78

405.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$0.52 E£27.07

182.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.42 E£22.03

366.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$2.01 E£105

285.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$0.31 E£15.93

206.45%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$35.4K E£1.8M

-48.82%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$33.5K E£1.7M

-20.84%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$11.49 E£596

615.84%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$5.60 E£291

69.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$10.19 E£529

137.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$22.57 E£1,172

14.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$3.02 E£157

30.13%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$90.0 E£4,673

243.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$1,855 E£96.3K

221.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$27.26 E£1,415

115.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$49.49 E£2,568

-34.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$108 E£5,619

-5.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$49.82 E£2,586

117.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$191 E£9,912

149.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$101 E£5,216

276.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$303 E£15.7K

176.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$175 E£9,074

314.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$674 E£35.0K

314.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$410 E£21.3K

195.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Shibin Al Kawm: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $191 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: $188 vs $128 – 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 113%, 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 $1,519 per month in Medellin and $714 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 $476, than in Medellin at $1,013. 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.