Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sulaymaniyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah: $773 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$773

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Sulaymaniyah

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 Sulaymaniyah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $773 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Sulaymaniyah $773

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $1,194 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Sulaymaniyah $1,194

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $1,615 in Sulaymaniyah, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Sulaymaniyah $1,615

Medellin costs about 106% more than Sulaymaniyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Sulaymaniyah is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

$5.07 IQD 7,660

57.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.3K

$22.93 IQD 34.6K

103.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$7.04 IQD 10.6K

33.95%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,277

$2.88 IQD 4,344

1.04%

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

$1.75 COP 5,585

$0.50 IQD 759

250.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,218

$0.25 IQD 378

428.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

$3.93 IQD 5,943

-20.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

$2.27 IQD 3,427

144.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

$1.28 IQD 1,935

10.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$1.01 IQD 1,519

141.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

$1.86 IQD 2,812

-12.37%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

$1.77 IQD 2,672

59.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

$4.96 IQD 7,490

95.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$4.22 IQD 6,382

120.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

$15.30 IQD 23.1K

-12.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$1.28 IQD 1,935

212.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

$1.28 IQD 1,937

15.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

$1.15 IQD 1,737

84.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

$0.68 IQD 1,025

230.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

$0.56 IQD 847

241.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

$0.73 IQD 1,096

121.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

$0.73 IQD 1,101

57.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

$0.50 IQD 752

152.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$2.28 IQD 3,444

67.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

$11.23 IQD 17.0K

16.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

$1.95 IQD 2,949

-17.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

$1.42 IQD 2,141

59.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

$0.60 IQD 902

95.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

$22.68 IQD 34.3K

230.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,056

$2.22 IQD 3,361

-42.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,531

$2.34 IQD 3,531

-12.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

$5.50 IQD 8,306

49.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,046

$0.69 IQD 1,045

84.06%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

$20.9K IQD 31.5M

28.28%

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

$34.4K COP 109.6M

$18.9K IQD 28.6M

81.64%

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

$162 COP 516.9K

$100 IQD 151.7K

61.61%

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

$11.49 IQD 17.4K

14.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

$28.04 IQD 42.4K

0.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.2K

$39.70 IQD 60.0K

11.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.0K

$20.09 IQD 30.4K

-18.72%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$7.58 IQD 11.5K

-19.66%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$173 IQD 261.0K

342.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

$2,946 IQD 4.5M

202.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

$18.91 IQD 28.6K

349.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

$25.19 IQD 38.1K

128.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

$43.24 IQD 65.3K

204.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

$38.64 IQD 58.4K

147.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$215 IQD 324.7K

378.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$175 IQD 264.2K

245.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

$492 IQD 743.9K

266.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$363 IQD 548.8K

173.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

$786 IQD 1.2M

398.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

$630 IQD 952.4K

159.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$584 IQD 882.1K

7.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.77

89.60%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Sulaymaniyah

$175 22.5% 71.1% $430

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Sulaymaniyah

$188 24.2% 34.7% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Sulaymaniyah

$140 18% 31.2% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Sulaymaniyah

$57 7.3% 65.9% $110

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Sulaymaniyah

$123 15.9% 25.8% $43

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Sulaymaniyah

$39 5% 57.3% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Sulaymaniyah

$55 7.1% 2.9% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $215 in Sulaymaniyah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 7% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $23.00 in Sulaymaniyah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $188 – making Sulaymaniyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🕒 Local time

01:45 1:45 AM

09:45 9:45 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

823,199

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,574 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,695 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Sulaymaniyah 12,310 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Sulaymaniyah

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 Sulaymaniyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 106%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $1,160 in Sulaymaniyah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sulaymaniyah, 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 $47.00 in Medellin and $23.00 in Sulaymaniyah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Medellin and $773 in Sulaymaniyah. That's a gap of about 106%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sulaymaniyah, where all-in costs run around $773, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Sulaymaniyah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Sulaymaniyah. 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.