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 $1,003 per month in Medellin vs $449 in Shubra Al Khaymah, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,573 per month in Medellin vs $728 in Shubra Al Khaymah, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,143 per month in Medellin vs $1,007 in Shubra Al Khaymah, rent included.

Medellin costs about 124% more than Shubra Al Khaymah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and Shubra Al Khaymah are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 25% lower, Shubra Al Khaymah 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$3.53 E£178

67.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$16.09 E£810

104.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$4.73 E£238

57.08%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$1.48 E£74.7

11.49%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$0.29 E£14.53

279.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.12 E£6.14

550.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$1.20 E£60.5

43.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$2.78 E£140

14.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$0.79 E£39.82

39.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$0.62 E£31.23

103.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$0.66 E£33.13

109.09%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$1.45 E£73.1

50.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$3.33 E£168

34.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$4.32 E£217

34.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$8.46 E£426

6.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$1.41 E£70.8

64.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$0.55 E£27.54

92.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$0.40 E£20.03

280.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$0.37 E£18.42

267.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$0.40 E£20.24

182.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$0.41 E£20.60

185.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$0.24 E£12.09

275.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.20 E£9.90

350.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$1.96 E£98.6

13.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$5.75 E£289

110.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$1.24 E£62.2

-4.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$1.77 E£89.2

40.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.16 E£8.24

431.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$0.39 E£19.53

264.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$0.29 E£14.49

572.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$1.03 E£51.7

666.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$0.33 E£16.70

200.00%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$35.9K E£1.8M

-50.94%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$30.8K E£1.6M

-13.09%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$11.28 E£567

635.90%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$5.76 E£290

68.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$9.86 E£496

138.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$22.17 E£1,115

13.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$2.98 E£150

32.55%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$90.3 E£4,543

249.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$1,864 E£93.8K

220.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$27.73 E£1,395

116.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$43.99 E£2,213

-27.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$105 E£5,300

-3.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$49.76 E£2,503

115.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$190 E£9,570

149.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$100.0 E£5,029

274.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$312 E£15.7K

171.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$177 E£8,890

307.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$798 E£40.2K

309.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$388 E£19.5K

271.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Shubra Al Khaymah: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $475 in Medellin versus $190 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: $193 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 124%, 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 $1,504 per month in Medellin and $673 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 61% 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 $449, than in Medellin at $1,003. 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.