Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zakho

For one person, living is cheaper in Zakho: $759 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Zakho
Learn more

Zakho Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Zakho

🇮🇶 Iraq

$759

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Zakho

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $759 in Zakho, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Zakho $759

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,210 in Zakho, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Zakho $1,210

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $1,661 in Zakho, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Zakho $1,661

Medellin costs about 114% more than Zakho, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Zakho is 44% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$6.52 IQD 9,855

27.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$36.45 IQD 55.1K

28.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$7.08 IQD 10.7K

30.51%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$3.38 IQD 5,101

-9.76%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.90 IQD 1,356

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.36 IQD 550

283.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$5.36 IQD 8,101

-39.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$4.06 IQD 6,130

36.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.07 IQD 1,613

40.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$0.67 IQD 1,019

253.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.47 IQD 2,221

15.65%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$1.52 IQD 2,290

94.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$7.21 IQD 10.9K

41.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$4.32 IQD 6,524

125.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$12.87 IQD 19.4K

8.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$0.97 IQD 1,463

325.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$0.95 IQD 1,437

61.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$1.02 IQD 1,543

117.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$0.69 IQD 1,046

228.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$0.59 IQD 895

237.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$0.58 IQD 874

187.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$0.66 IQD 997

78.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.51 IQD 777

143.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$2.11 IQD 3,189

83.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$10.84 IQD 16.4K

27.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.45 IQD 2,197

14.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$1.84 IQD 2,782

30.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.39 IQD 594

217.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$20.25 IQD 30.6K

286.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$1.64 IQD 2,474

-21.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$1.60 IQD 2,418

34.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$5.53 IQD 8,350

51.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$0.57 IQD 863

136.84%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

107.80%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$17.3K IQD 26.2M

99.92%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$113 IQD 170.8K

47.39%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$11.83 IQD 17.9K

15.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$24.03 IQD 36.3K

21.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$37.45 IQD 56.6K

20.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$9.95 IQD 15.0K

-29.95%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$313 IQD 473.3K

152.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$2,762 IQD 4.2M

227.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$26.29 IQD 39.7K

233.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$19.70 IQD 29.8K

195.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$49.08 IQD 74.2K

183.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$40.75 IQD 61.6K

142.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$172 IQD 260.4K

496.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$132 IQD 199.9K

368.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$379 IQD 572.2K

396.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$308 IQD 466.0K

226.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$711 IQD 1.1M

461.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$576 IQD 870.1K

195.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$660 IQD 997.7K

0.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.53

332.41%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Zakho: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Zakho

$132 17.4% 78.6% $487

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Zakho

$174 22.9% 41.7% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Zakho

$149 19.6% 28.9% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Zakho

$61 8.1% 64.6% $112

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Zakho

$154 20.3% 9.9% $17

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Zakho

$31 4.2% 67% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Zakho

$57 7.6% 2.8% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $172 in Zakho. 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 0% 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 $36.00 in Zakho. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $174 – making Zakho the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇶 Zakho

🕒 Local time

17:13 5:13 PM

01:13 1:13 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

197,163

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Zakho 12,010 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Zakho

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 Zakho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 114%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,138 in Zakho. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zakho, 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 $36.00 in Zakho. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $759 in Zakho. That's a gap of about 114%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Zakho, where all-in costs run around $759, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Zakho it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zakho – 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 Zakho. 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.