Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Shuwaikh

For one person, living is cheaper in Shuwaikh: $1,374 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Shuwaikh
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Shuwaikh Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Shuwaikh

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,374

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Shuwaikh

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Shuwaikh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $1,374 in Shuwaikh, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Shuwaikh $1,374

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $2,289 in Shuwaikh, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Shuwaikh $2,289

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $3,203 in Shuwaikh, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Shuwaikh $3,203

Medellin costs about 23% more than Shuwaikh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Shuwaikh sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Shuwaikh by 2%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$13.05 KWD 4.06

-36.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$65.1 KWD 20.22

-28.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$8.66 KWD 2.69

9.35%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 KWD 1.01

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 KWD 1.51

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$5.12 KWD 1.59

-38.87%

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

$1.77 COP 5,728

$0.69 KWD 0.21

156.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,620

$0.31 KWD 0.10

358.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,971

$1.59 KWD 0.49

-3.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,431

$1.46 KWD 0.46

56.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,308

$1.96 KWD 0.61

-1.02%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,945

$2.06 KWD 0.64

49.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$4.49 KWD 1.39

122.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$6.81 KWD 2.12

53.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$10.35 KWD 3.21

34.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$2.38 KWD 0.74

70.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,957

$1.86 KWD 0.58

-17.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,825

$1.81 KWD 0.56

16.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,439

$1.49 KWD 0.46

53.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,841

$1.30 KWD 0.40

62.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,543

$1.43 KWD 0.44

19.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,795

$2.29 KWD 0.71

-48.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,125

$0.58 KWD 0.18

172.41%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.14 KWD 0.97

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 KWD 0.33

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$2.78 KWD 0.86

40.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.6K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,714

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,796

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,826

$0.84 KWD 0.26

40.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,860

$4.94 KWD 1.53

-63.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,906

$3.12 KWD 0.97

-31.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$15.80 KWD 4.91

-48.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,136

$0.33 KWD 0.10

287.88%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$23.1K KWD 7,171

49.20%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$19.4K KWD 6,022

76.10%

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

$178 COP 576.4K

$66.6 KWD 20.68

166.98%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$22.12 KWD 6.87

-37.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$29.71 KWD 9.23

3.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

$97.9 KWD 30.41

-57.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$12.74 KWD 3.96

-41.37%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$500 KWD 155

58.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$9,512 KWD 2,955

29.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 280.0K

$38.24 KWD 11.88

125.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$39.98 KWD 12.42

48.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.7K

$98.8 KWD 30.71

39.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.5K

$88.1 KWD 27.38

12.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$790 KWD 245

69.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$608 KWD 189

9.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$1,737 KWD 540

13.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$1,318 KWD 409

-21.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$4,255 KWD 1,322

-84.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.53

67.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Shuwaikh: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Shuwaikh

$608 44.2% 8.9% $60

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Shuwaikh

$186 13.5% 39.5% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Shuwaikh

$118 8.6% 46.8% $104

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Shuwaikh

$196 14.3% 13.5% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Shuwaikh

$119 8.7% 30.7% $53

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Shuwaikh

$24 * 1.7% 74.4% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Shuwaikh

$123 9% 117% $66

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $790 in Shuwaikh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Shuwaikh are about 6.6 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $65 in Shuwaikh. Groceries tell a different story – $307 in Medellin vs $186 in Shuwaikh – so Shuwaikh wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇰🇼 Shuwaikh

🕒 Local time

08:42 8:42 AM

16:42 4:42 PM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

3,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Kuwaiti Dinar KWD د.ك

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

1 KWD = 3.22 USD

1 KWD = 2.87 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KWD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,636 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

Kuwaiti Dinar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.311 KWD (1 KWD = 3.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.348 KWD (1 KWD = 2.87 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Shuwaikh 12,810 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Shuwaikh

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Shuwaikh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $2,061 in Shuwaikh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shuwaikh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $790 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $65 in Shuwaikh. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 65% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,692 in Medellin and $1,374 in Shuwaikh, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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