Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tabriz

For one person, living is cheaper in Tabriz: $406 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Tabriz, Iran
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Tabriz
🇮🇷 Iran
$406
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Tabriz

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $406 in Tabriz, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Tabriz $406

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $679 in Tabriz, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Tabriz $679

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $952 in Tabriz, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Tabriz $952

Medellin costs about 304% more than Tabriz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Tabriz is 70% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Tabriz
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$3.02 $3.02
167.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$14.86 $14.86
216.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$3.90 $3.90
143.59%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.06 $1.06
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.11 $1.11
-
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,735
$1.30 $1.30
131.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$0.56 $0.56
221.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,561
$0.61 $0.61
131.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Tabriz
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,876
$0.56 $0.56
169.64%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,678
$0.37 $0.37
543.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,720
$3.79 $3.79
-53.30%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,333
$0.90 $0.90
221.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$4.78 $4.78
113.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$2.80 $2.80
252.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
$9.33 $9.33
49.95%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$0.99 $0.99
301.01%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,012
$1.28 $1.28
21.09%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,048
$0.80 $0.80
172.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,051
$0.57 $0.57
282.46%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,337
$0.52 $0.52
276.92%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,132
$0.52 $0.52
205.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,699
$0.46 $0.46
150.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$0.18 $0.18
588.89%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$0.63 $0.63
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.44 $0.44
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.46 $1.46
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$2.14 $2.14
85.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,359
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,291
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Tabriz
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,771
$0.11 $0.11
963.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.8K
$12.38 $12.38
524.96%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,094
$0.42 $0.42
202.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,612
$0.19 $0.19
978.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$4.04 $4.04
111.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,349
$0.09 $0.09
1400.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.0M
$72.5K $72.5K
-53.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$52.8K $52.8K
-34.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Tabriz
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.8K
$14.37 $14.37
1080.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.8K
$1.94 $1.94
598.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$5.38 $5.38
421.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Tabriz
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.1K
$14.57 $14.57
199.93%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
$25.20 $25.20
-31.79%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$1.47 $1.47
370.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Tabriz
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$60.1 $60.1
1225.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$539 $539
1589.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Tabriz
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$15.73 $15.73
438.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.2K
$10.63 $10.63
445.25%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.8K
$74.0 $74.0
82.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$49.41 $49.41
98.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Tabriz
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$153 $153
690.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$119 $119
437.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$373 $373
444.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$240 $240
322.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
$871 $871
378.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$855 $855
123.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Tabriz
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$233 $233
182.29%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
22.5
-51.38%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tabriz: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Tabriz
$119 81.4% $522
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Tabriz
$110 63.1% $187
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Tabriz
$22 89.7% $190
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Tabriz
$56 66.9% $113
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Tabriz
$67 60.1% $102
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Tabriz
$14 84.8% $79
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Tabriz
$18 69.5% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $153 in Tabriz. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 2.8 times higher, 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 in Medellin versus $15 in Tabriz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $110 – making Tabriz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇮🇷 Tabriz
🕒 Local time
23:10 11:10 PM
07:40 7:40 AM
8 h 30 min ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
1,558,693
💱 Currency
USD USD
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Tabriz 12,260 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Tabriz

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 Tabriz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tabriz cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 304%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $609 in Tabriz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Tabriz, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $153 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Tabriz?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $15 in Tabriz. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Tabriz?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $406 in Tabriz. That makes Tabriz about 75% cheaper.
Is $800 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Tabriz?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Tabriz, where all-in costs run around $406, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Tabriz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Tabriz more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Tabriz – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Tabriz. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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