Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Shubra Al Khaymah Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Shubra Al Khaymah

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,017 per month in Medellin vs $447 in Shubra Al Khaymah, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $728 in Shubra Al Khaymah, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,188 per month in Medellin vs $1,008 in Shubra Al Khaymah, rent included.

Medellin costs about 127% more than Shubra Al Khaymah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and Shubra Al Khaymah are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Shubra Al Khaymah 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$3.53 E£180

68.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$16.03 E£819

107.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$4.71 E£240

53.50%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$1.49 E£76.1

9.40%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.31 E£16.01

251.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.13 E£6.45

461.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.16 E£59.3

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.71 E£139

19.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$0.84 E£42.92

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.62 E£31.88

108.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$0.69 E£35.30

91.30%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.41 E£71.8

60.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$3.31 E£169

31.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$4.15 E£212

41.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$8.40 E£429

2.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$1.43 E£73.1

57.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$0.55 E£28.07

94.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$0.40 E£20.29

280.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$0.40 E£20.20

255.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$0.40 E£20.56

192.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.40 E£20.46

192.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.24 E£12.32

270.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.21 E£10.53

328.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$2.01 E£103

11.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$5.70 E£291

93.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.23 E£62.9

-7.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.78 E£91.0

33.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.16 E£8.07

425.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$0.38 E£19.52

271.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.29 E£14.63

555.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$1.00 E£51.1

675.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$0.33 E£17.00

206.06%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$35.9K E£1.8M

-51.08%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$30.2K E£1.5M

-12.34%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$11.11 E£567

653.20%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$5.58 E£285

69.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$9.90 E£506

143.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$22.06 E£1,126

14.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$3.01 E£154

36.21%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$88.9 E£4,540

250.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$1,828 E£93.3K

227.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$27.61 E£1,410

110.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$44.54 E£2,275

-26.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$108 E£5,501

-7.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$50.9 E£2,597

113.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$191 E£9,738

152.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$101 E£5,137

277.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$315 E£16.1K

165.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$177 E£9,040

308.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$877 E£44.8K

223.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$381 E£19.5K

220.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

16.67

-19.44%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Shubra Al Khaymah: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Medellin versus $191 in Shubra Al Khaymah. 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 Shubra Al Khaymah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $120 – making Shubra Al Khaymah 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 Shubra Al Khaymah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 127%, 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 $1,525 per month in Medellin and $670 in Shubra Al Khaymah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 59% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Shubra Al Khaymah, where all-in costs run around $447, than in Medellin at $1,017. In Shubra Al Khaymah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shubra Al Khaymah – 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 Shubra Al Khaymah. 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.