Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and The Pearl-Qatar Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and The Pearl-Qatar

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $2,622 in The Pearl-Qatar, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $3,869 in The Pearl-Qatar, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $5,117 in The Pearl-Qatar, rent included.

Medellin is about 36% cheaper than The Pearl-Qatar, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Medellin and The Pearl-Qatar sit above the global median – Medellin by 23%, The Pearl-Qatar by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$7.91 QAR 28.78

1.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$73.2 QAR 267

-34.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$8.01 QAR 29.16

23.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.98 QAR 43.59

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.31 QAR 48.45

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$5.43 QAR 19.75

-42.36%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$0.94 QAR 3.41

103.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.45 QAR 1.64

235.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.59 QAR 5.79

-9.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$1.45 QAR 5.27

71.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$2.01 QAR 7.30

-11.94%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$2.46 QAR 8.95

20.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$7.02 QAR 25.55

43.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$8.36 QAR 30.45

21.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$11.24 QAR 40.91

27.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$2.15 QAR 7.84

92.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.84 QAR 6.69

-12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$1.51 QAR 5.49

49.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$1.28 QAR 4.64

75.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$0.99 QAR 3.59

106.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$0.92 QAR 3.35

67.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$1.39 QAR 5.06

-15.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$0.51 QAR 1.85

156.86%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.31 QAR 33.88

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 QAR 6.99

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 QAR 8.18

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$6.34 QAR 23.09

-38.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$0.58 QAR 2.10

110.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

$31.33 QAR 114

156.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$1.94 QAR 7.05

-32.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$0.53 QAR 1.91

313.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$9.60 QAR 34.94

-9.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$0.54 QAR 1.95

153.70%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$16.0K QAR 58.2K

73.95%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$14.9K QAR 54.3K

139.76%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$89.0 QAR 324

99.17%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$31.11 QAR 113

-55.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$74.6 QAR 271

-60.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

$175 QAR 637

-74.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

$37.42 QAR 136

-54.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$11.71 QAR 42.63

-43.21%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$685 QAR 2,492

18.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$9,903 QAR 36.0K

-7.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$58.2 QAR 212

53.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$50.5 QAR 184

16.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$77.9 QAR 284

77.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$86.9 QAR 316

17.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$2,200 QAR 8,009

-51.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$1,719 QAR 6,257

-61.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$4,324 QAR 15.7K

-56.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$3,053 QAR 11.1K

-66.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$7,343 QAR 26.7K

-43.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$5,526 QAR 20.1K

-69.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

$7,271 QAR 26.5K

-90.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.29

155.01%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for The Pearl-Qatar: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $2,200 in The Pearl-Qatar. 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 973% higher in The Pearl-Qatar, 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $73.0 in The Pearl-Qatar. Groceries tell a different story – $305 in Medellin vs $196 in The Pearl-Qatar – so The Pearl-Qatar wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 The Pearl-Qatar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – The Pearl-Qatar is pricier by about 56%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $3,933 in The Pearl-Qatar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $73.0 in The Pearl-Qatar. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,681 in Medellin and $2,622 in The Pearl-Qatar. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,681, than in The Pearl-Qatar at $2,622. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in The Pearl-Qatar it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – 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 Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, The Pearl-Qatar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.