Cost of Living Comparison Between Ras al-Khaimah and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Ras al-Khaimah and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,745 per month in Ras al-Khaimah vs $1,716 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,761 per month in Ras al-Khaimah vs $2,527 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,777 per month in Ras al-Khaimah vs $3,338 in Medellin, rent included.

Ras al-Khaimah costs about 2% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Ras al-Khaimah and Medellin sit above the global median – Ras al-Khaimah by 27%, Medellin by 25%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.04 AED 44.22

$8.03 COP 25.2K

49.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.52 AED 167

$48.26 COP 151.7K

-5.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 AED 27.45

$9.77 COP 30.7K

-23.44%

Cappuccino

$5.51 AED 20.24

$2.91 COP 9,149

89.35%

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

$1.11 AED 4.07

$1.94 COP 6,110

-42.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 AED 1.60

$1.52 COP 4,783

-71.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.06 AED 36.94

$3.09 COP 9,721

225.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.78 AED 35.93

$5.74 COP 18.1K

70.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 AED 6.29

$1.36 COP 4,287

25.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 AED 7.56

$2.39 COP 7,505

-13.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 AED 6.91

$1.70 COP 5,346

10.59%

Eggs

$2.42 AED 8.88

$2.87 COP 9,021

-15.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.50 AED 45.90

$9.94 COP 31.2K

25.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 AED 35.56

$10.78 COP 33.9K

-10.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.75 AED 57.9

$14.73 COP 46.3K

6.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 AED 7.30

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-51.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 AED 5.85

$1.57 COP 4,940

1.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 AED 5.51

$2.13 COP 6,682

-29.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 AED 4.93

$2.21 COP 6,959

-39.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 AED 3.56

$2.05 COP 6,435

-52.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 AED 3.38

$1.50 COP 4,728

-38.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 AED 6.44

$1.19 COP 3,740

47.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 AED 1.75

$1.16 COP 3,640

-58.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 AED 24.87

$3.90 COP 12.2K

73.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$14.44 COP 45.4K

-5.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 AED 9.25

$1.58 COP 4,978

59.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 AED 10.49

$2.83 COP 8,889

1.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 AED 7.82

$1.17 COP 3,672

82.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 AED 411

$77.7 COP 244.3K

44.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 AED 6.30

$1.28 COP 4,038

34.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 AED 2.89

$2.09 COP 6,576

-62.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.23

$8.62 COP 27.1K

-7.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 AED 3.26

$1.30 COP 4,080

-31.54%

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

$46.3K AED 169.9K

$27.7K COP 86.9M

67.28%

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

$21.8K AED 80.2K

$35.5K COP 111.6M

-38.51%

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

$124 AED 456

$176 COP 553.4K

-29.43%

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

$45.14 AED 166

$13.37 COP 42.0K

237.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.6 AED 292

$29.89 COP 94.0K

166.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 AED 211

$44.76 COP 140.7K

28.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.71 AED 150

$17.06 COP 53.6K

138.63%

Cinema Ticket

$13.07 AED 48.00

$6.20 COP 19.5K

110.81%

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

$296 AED 1,086

$793 COP 2.5M

-62.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,411 AED 16.2K

$9,019 COP 28.4M

-51.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 AED 303

$85.6 COP 269.1K

-3.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 AED 192

$58.5 COP 183.8K

-10.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 AED 466

$136 COP 428.4K

-6.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 AED 422

$103 COP 324.1K

11.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$754 AED 2,768

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-28.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$581 AED 2,135

$680 COP 2.1M

-14.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,642 AED 6,029

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-18.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 AED 4,655

$1,169 COP 3.7M

8.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,911 AED 18.0K

$4,111 COP 12.9M

19.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 AED 7,157

$1,701 COP 5.3M

14.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 AED 5,818

$665 COP 2.1M

138.14%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $754 in Ras al-Khaimah versus $1,060 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 138% 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 $46.00 in Ras al-Khaimah versus $48.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $283 vs $303 – making Ras al-Khaimah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 2%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,617 per month in Ras al-Khaimah and $2,574 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 $46.00 in Ras al-Khaimah and $48.00 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 $1,745 in Ras al-Khaimah and $1,716 in Medellin. 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 $1,716, than in Ras al-Khaimah at $1,745. 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.