Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Umm Salal 'ali Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Umm Salal 'ali

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $784 in Umm Salal 'ali, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,346 in Umm Salal 'ali, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $1,908 in Umm Salal 'ali, rent included.

Medellin costs about 114% more than Umm Salal 'ali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Umm Salal 'ali is 43% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$10.97 QAR 39.93

-26.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$73.8 QAR 268

-35.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$8.44 QAR 30.71

17.18%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.01 QAR 43.71

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.73 QAR 49.98

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$5.80 QAR 21.11

-46.03%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$0.93 QAR 3.38

105.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.42 QAR 1.51

259.52%

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

$2.17 QAR 7.92

-33.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$1.47 QAR 5.34

69.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$1.98 QAR 7.19

-10.61%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$3.45 QAR 12.55

-14.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$11.25 QAR 40.97

-10.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$8.17 QAR 29.72

23.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$11.13 QAR 40.52

28.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$2.16 QAR 7.85

91.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.79 QAR 6.53

-10.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$1.55 QAR 5.66

45.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$1.22 QAR 4.44

84.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$0.95 QAR 3.44

114.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$0.99 QAR 3.59

55.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$1.39 QAR 5.05

-15.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$0.55 QAR 2.02

138.18%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.83 QAR 35.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 QAR 7.02

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 QAR 8.31

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$6.49 QAR 23.64

-39.91%

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

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$1.98 QAR 7.21

-33.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$2.12 QAR 7.72

3.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$14.00 QAR 51.0

-37.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$0.55 QAR 2.00

149.09%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$27.1K QAR 98.7K

2.67%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$22.0K QAR 80.2K

62.36%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$88.5 QAR 322

100.25%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$35.24 QAR 128

-60.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$85.1 QAR 310

-65.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$12.42 QAR 45.21

-46.46%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$682 QAR 2,484

19.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$10.2K QAR 37.0K

-9.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$59.9 QAR 218

49.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$51.5 QAR 187

14.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$104 QAR 380

32.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$86.5 QAR 315

18.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.88

86.05%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Umm Salal 'ali: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $74.0 in Umm Salal 'ali. Groceries tell a different story – $305 in Medellin vs $217 in Umm Salal 'ali – so Umm Salal 'ali 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 Umm Salal 'ali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 114%, 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 $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,176 in Umm Salal 'ali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $74.0 in Umm Salal 'ali. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 40% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Umm Salal 'ali, where all-in costs run around $784, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Umm Salal 'ali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Umm Salal 'ali – 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 Umm Salal 'ali. 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.