Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ras al-Khaimah and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $1,840 in Ras al-Khaimah, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. The total is higher in Ras al-Khaimah despite lower rent and utilities.

89

Cost of Living Index in Ras al-Khaimah
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Ras al-Khaimah Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Ras al-Khaimah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,840

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ras al-Khaimah and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ras al-Khaimah and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,840 per month in Ras al-Khaimah vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Ras al-Khaimah $1,840
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $2,803 per month in Ras al-Khaimah vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Ras al-Khaimah $2,803
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $3,767 per month in Ras al-Khaimah vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Ras al-Khaimah $3,767
Medellin $3,190

Ras al-Khaimah costs about 14% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ras al-Khaimah and Medellin sit above the global median – Ras al-Khaimah by 36%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.76 AED 50.5

$7.93 COP 25.2K

73.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.26 AED 148

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-12.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 AED 27.64

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-20.74%

Cappuccino

$5.51 AED 20.22

$3.11 COP 9,866

77.17%

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

$1.11 AED 4.08

$1.83 COP 5,800

-39.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 AED 1.76

$1.38 COP 4,360

-65.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.16 AED 37.32

$3.05 COP 9,672

233.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.70 AED 35.63

$5.50 COP 17.4K

76.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 AED 6.00

$1.45 COP 4,600

12.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 AED 7.65

$2.36 COP 7,496

-11.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 AED 7.20

$1.68 COP 5,328

16.67%

Eggs

$2.35 AED 8.62

$2.86 COP 9,077

-17.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.68 AED 46.57

$10.19 COP 32.3K

24.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 AED 36.56

$9.53 COP 30.2K

4.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.46 AED 56.8

$14.04 COP 44.5K

10.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 AED 7.39

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-50.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 AED 6.14

$1.50 COP 4,742

11.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 AED 5.69

$2.17 COP 6,891

-28.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 AED 4.98

$2.31 COP 7,310

-41.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 AED 3.54

$1.93 COP 6,113

-50.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 AED 3.20

$1.64 COP 5,196

-46.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 AED 6.39

$1.13 COP 3,571

53.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 AED 1.61

$1.25 COP 3,954

-64.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 AED 25.61

$3.99 COP 12.6K

74.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 AED 49.89

$13.35 COP 42.3K

1.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 AED 9.66

$1.70 COP 5,384

54.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 AED 10.56

$2.37 COP 7,525

21.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.12 AED 7.80

$1.21 COP 3,827

75.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$114 AED 419

$76.5 COP 242.5K

49.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 AED 6.21

$1.32 COP 4,179

28.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 AED 2.93

$2.14 COP 6,774

-62.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.16 AED 29.96

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-3.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 AED 3.41

$1.30 COP 4,114

-28.46%

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

$45.8K AED 168.2K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

63.64%

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

$22.3K AED 82.0K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-36.94%

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

$121 AED 444

$172 COP 545.6K

-29.72%

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

$44.73 AED 164

$13.37 COP 42.4K

234.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.4 AED 291

$28.73 COP 91.1K

176.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 AED 213

$45.24 COP 143.5K

27.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.22 AED 148

$17.04 COP 54.0K

136.03%

Cinema Ticket

$12.72 AED 46.70

$6.28 COP 19.9K

102.55%

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

$299 AED 1,099

$770 COP 2.4M

-61.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,462 AED 16.4K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-50.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 AED 296

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-6.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 AED 195

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-7.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 AED 438

$137 COP 432.9K

-12.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 AED 430

$97.9 COP 310.4K

19.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$767 AED 2,819

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-27.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$657 AED 2,413

$616 COP 2.0M

6.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,660 AED 6,095

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-12.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 AED 4,563

$1,023 COP 3.2M

21.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,007 AED 18.4K

$4,059 COP 12.9M

23.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,962 AED 7,207

$1,678 COP 5.3M

16.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,577 AED 5,791

$652 COP 2.1M

141.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.92

10.94

-55.03%

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

Last update for Ras al-Khaimah: October 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ras al-Khaimah

$657 35.7%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 6.3% $41

Groceries & Markets

Ras al-Khaimah

$285 15.5%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 3.5% $10

Eating Out

Ras al-Khaimah

$275 15%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 38.8% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ras al-Khaimah

$245 13.3%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 12.6% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Ras al-Khaimah

$167 9.1%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 2.1% $3.5

Getting Around

Ras al-Khaimah

$128 7%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 27.3% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Ras al-Khaimah

$83 4.5%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 30.6% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $767 in Ras al-Khaimah versus $1,055 in Medellin. 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 142% higher in Ras al-Khaimah, 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 $40.00 in Ras al-Khaimah versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $285 vs $295 – making Ras al-Khaimah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Ras al-Khaimah

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

09:42 9:42 AM

00:42 12:42 AM

9 h behind Ras al-Khaimah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

241,000

2,486,723

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ras al-Khaimah Medellin 13,690 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Ras al-Khaimah
Medellin

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

Ras al-Khaimah vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ras al-Khaimah is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,760 per month in Ras al-Khaimah and $2,421 in Medellin. 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 $40.00 in Ras al-Khaimah and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,840 in Ras al-Khaimah and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 14%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Ras al-Khaimah at $1,840. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ras al-Khaimah 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, Ras al-Khaimah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.