Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Umm Salal Mohammed

For one person, living is cheaper in Umm Salal Mohammed: $232 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Umm Salal Mohammed

🇶🇦 Qatar

$232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Umm Salal Mohammed

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 Umm Salal Mohammed actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $232 in Umm Salal Mohammed, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Umm Salal Mohammed $232

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $392 in Umm Salal Mohammed, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Umm Salal Mohammed $392

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $552 in Umm Salal Mohammed, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Umm Salal Mohammed $552

Medellin costs about 585% more than Umm Salal Mohammed, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Umm Salal Mohammed is 83% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.3K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,277

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

$1.75 COP 5,585

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,218

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

$2.26 QAR 8.21

-37.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$1.47 QAR 5.34

65.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

$2.75 QAR 10.00

-40.73%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

$2.60 QAR 9.45

8.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

$8.01 QAR 29.11

20.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$4.83 QAR 17.56

92.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

$9.82 QAR 35.71

37.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$1.87 QAR 6.80

113.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

$1.55 QAR 5.62

-4.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

$1.08 QAR 3.92

96.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

$2.35 QAR 8.54

-4.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

$0.83 QAR 3.04

130.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

$1.69 QAR 6.15

-4.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

$1.88 QAR 6.82

-38.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

$0.39 QAR 1.43

223.08%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.26 QAR 44.60

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 QAR 5.13

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$5.71 QAR 20.76

-33.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

$1.11 QAR 4.05

5.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

$32.83 QAR 119

128.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,056

$2.22 QAR 8.06

-42.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,531

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

$5.86 QAR 21.31

39.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,046

$0.57 QAR 2.06

122.81%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

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

$34.4K COP 109.6M

$20.4K QAR 74.3K

68.34%

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

$162 COP 516.9K

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

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

$764 COP 2.4M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Umm Salal Mohammed: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Umm Salal Mohammed

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Umm Salal Mohammed

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Umm Salal Mohammed

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Umm Salal Mohammed

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Umm Salal Mohammed

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Umm Salal Mohammed

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Umm Salal Mohammed

–

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇶🇦 Umm Salal Mohammed

🕒 Local time

05:40 5:40 AM

13:40 1:40 PM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

33,909

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Qatari Riyal QAR ر.ق

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

1 QAR = 0.275 USD

1 QAR = 0.245 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

QAR, 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 = 3,571 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Qatari Riyal exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.64 QAR (1 QAR = 0.275 USD). 1 EUR = 4.08 QAR (1 QAR = 0.245 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Umm Salal Mohammed 13,290 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Umm Salal Mohammed

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 Umm Salal Mohammed: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 585%, 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 $348 in Umm Salal Mohammed. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 53% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Public transport costs about 129% less in Umm Salal Mohammed. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Umm Salal Mohammed, where all-in costs run around $232, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Umm Salal Mohammed it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Umm Salal Mohammed – 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 Mohammed. 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.