Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salmiya and Medellin

For one person, living costs are similar in Salmiya and in Medellin: $1,633 and $1,625 a month, rent and utilities included.

79

Cost of Living Index in Salmiya
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Salmiya Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Salmiya

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,633

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Salmiya 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 Salmiya and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,633 per month in Salmiya vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Salmiya $1,633
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $2,420 per month in Salmiya vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Salmiya $2,420
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $3,208 per month in Salmiya vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Salmiya $3,208
Medellin $3,199

Salmiya costs about 1% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Salmiya and Medellin sit above the global median – Salmiya by 21%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.53 KWD 2.94

$8.30 COP 26.3K

14.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.53 KWD 14.64

$46.91 COP 148.7K

1.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.19 KWD 2.52

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-11.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 KWD 0.72

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 KWD 0.78

Cappuccino

$5.16 KWD 1.59

$3.05 COP 9,676

69.18%

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

$0.45 KWD 0.14

$1.80 COP 5,707

-75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 KWD 0.10

$1.38 COP 4,382

-77.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 KWD 0.49

$1.50 COP 4,760

6.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 KWD 0.21

$2.37 COP 7,508

-71.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 KWD 0.61

$1.70 COP 5,377

16.47%

Eggs

$2.06 KWD 0.63

$2.96 COP 9,379

-30.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 KWD 1.34

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-57.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 KWD 2.08

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-30.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.27 KWD 3.17

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-26.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 KWD 0.77

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-39.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 KWD 0.60

$1.53 COP 4,839

26.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 KWD 0.53

$2.22 COP 7,052

-22.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 KWD 0.48

$2.27 COP 7,194

-31.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 KWD 0.42

$1.99 COP 6,311

-32.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 KWD 0.46

$1.67 COP 5,285

-11.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 KWD 0.72

$1.18 COP 3,742

97.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 KWD 0.14

$1.24 COP 3,919

-62.10%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.94 KWD 0.29

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 KWD 0.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 KWD 0.86

$3.87 COP 12.3K

-27.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 KWD 0.34

$1.24 COP 3,944

-10.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.63 KWD 14.98

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-37.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 KWD 1.00

$1.28 COP 4,044

154.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.23 KWD 1.00

$2.15 COP 6,803

50.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.32 KWD 3.18

$8.37 COP 26.5K

23.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.33 KWD 0.10

$1.35 COP 4,288

-75.56%

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

$23.5K KWD 7,253

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-32.28%

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

$19.7K KWD 6,063

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-43.26%

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

$48.23 KWD 14.86

$167 COP 528.4K

-71.06%

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

$22.71 KWD 7.00

$13.62 COP 43.2K

66.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.34 KWD 9.35

$29.12 COP 92.3K

4.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$149 KWD 45.89

$45.09 COP 143.0K

230.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.79 KWD 4.87

$17.18 COP 54.5K

-8.09%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 KWD 3.53

$6.97 COP 22.1K

64.56%

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

$303 KWD 93.5

$790 COP 2.5M

-61.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,426 KWD 2,288

$9,041 COP 28.7M

-17.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.43 KWD 11.53

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-57.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.08 KWD 12.35

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-31.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 KWD 30.00

$139 COP 440.7K

-29.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.8 KWD 27.35

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-10.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 KWD 329

$1,028 COP 3.3M

3.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$826 KWD 254

$620 COP 2.0M

33.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,370 KWD 730

$1,881 COP 6.0M

25.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 KWD 401

$1,008 COP 3.2M

29.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,169 KWD 668

$663 COP 2.1M

227.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

10.94

-40.31%

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

Last update for Salmiya: October 17, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salmiya

$826 50.6%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 25% $206

Groceries & Markets

Salmiya

$177 10.9%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 68.1% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Salmiya

$172 10.5%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 65.7% $113

Eating Out

Salmiya

$166 10.2%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 3% $5

Clothing & Footwear

Salmiya

$119 7.3%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 45.6% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salmiya

$101 6.2%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 107% $108

Getting Around

Salmiya

$72 4.4%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 31.3% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Salmiya versus $1,028 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 227% higher in Salmiya, 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 $48.00 in Salmiya versus $47.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $177 in Salmiya vs $298 in Medellin – so Salmiya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇼 Salmiya

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

17:19 5:19 PM

09:19 9:19 AM

8 h behind Salmiya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

309,960

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Kuwaiti Dinar KWD د.ك

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 KWD = 3.25 USD

1 KWD = 2.89 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to KWD – Kuwaiti Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇼 Kuwaiti Dinar (د.ك)

Kuwaiti Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.308 KWD (1 KWD = 3.25 USD). 1 EUR = 0.346 KWD (1 KWD = 2.89 EUR).

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).

USD to KWD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Salmiya Medellin 12,820 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Salmiya
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

Salmiya vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Salmiya is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,449 per month in Salmiya and $2,437 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 $48.00 in Salmiya and $47.00 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 $1,633 in Salmiya and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 1%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Salmiya at $1,633. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Salmiya 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, Salmiya makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.