Cost of Living Comparison Between Shaab and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Shaab and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,378 per month in Shaab vs $1,031 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,332 per month in Shaab vs $1,599 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,286 per month in Shaab vs $2,167 in Medellin, rent included.

Shaab costs about 34% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Shaab sits 3% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.90 KWD 3.04

$6.16 COP 20.1K

60.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.0 KWD 25.19

$32.60 COP 106.1K

151.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.16 KWD 2.81

$7.34 COP 23.9K

24.80%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 KWD 0.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 KWD 1.11

Cappuccino

$5.85 KWD 1.80

$1.72 COP 5,600

240.12%

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

$0.69 KWD 0.21

$1.05 COP 3,420

-34.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 KWD 0.12

$0.77 COP 2,515

-50.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 KWD 0.50

$1.05 COP 3,423

55.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 KWD 0.38

$1.30 COP 4,236

-5.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 KWD 0.53

$1.40 COP 4,544

23.57%

Eggs

$2.01 KWD 0.62

$2.16 COP 7,047

-6.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.09 KWD 1.57

$4.39 COP 14.3K

15.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 KWD 1.97

$5.88 COP 19.1K

8.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.32 KWD 3.17

$8.64 COP 28.1K

19.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 KWD 0.74

$2.28 COP 7,426

5.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 KWD 0.59

$1.11 COP 3,604

72.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 KWD 0.55

$1.53 COP 4,983

16.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 KWD 0.46

$1.35 COP 4,410

10.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 KWD 0.37

$1.13 COP 3,674

7.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 KWD 0.41

$1.13 COP 3,692

16.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 KWD 0.49

$0.85 COP 2,753

89.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 KWD 0.15

$0.91 COP 2,975

-46.15%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.33 KWD 1.02

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 KWD 0.88

$2.34 COP 7,630

22.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 KWD 0.25

$0.84 COP 2,728

-1.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.40 KWD 13.65

$40.57 COP 132.1K

9.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 KWD 1.00

$1.42 COP 4,623

128.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.32 KWD 1.02

$1.92 COP 6,235

72.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 KWD 5.06

$7.66 COP 24.9K

114.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.34 KWD 0.10

$0.99 COP 3,223

-65.66%

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

$21.5K KWD 6,601

$18.0K COP 58.7M

19.10%

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

$19.6K KWD 6,039

$26.6K COP 86.7M

-26.22%

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

$62.9 KWD 19.33

$80.8 COP 263.1K

-22.19%

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

$18.50 KWD 5.69

$9.95 COP 32.4K

85.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.11 KWD 8.03

$24.18 COP 78.7K

7.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$93.7 KWD 28.79

$25.08 COP 81.7K

273.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.12 KWD 14.49

$19.15 COP 62.3K

146.06%

Cinema Ticket

$11.26 KWD 3.46

$3.98 COP 13.0K

182.91%

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

$408 KWD 125

$305 COP 993.5K

33.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,576 KWD 2,021

$6,059 COP 19.7M

8.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.81 KWD 13.16

$58.1 COP 189.2K

-26.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.43 KWD 13.04

$32.20 COP 104.8K

31.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 KWD 26.57

$101 COP 327.9K

-14.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.9 KWD 25.50

$108 COP 350.8K

-23.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$784 KWD 241

$477 COP 1.6M

64.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 KWD 191

$376 COP 1.2M

65.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 KWD 493

$845 COP 2.7M

89.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 KWD 393

$730 COP 2.4M

74.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,210 KWD 987

$617 COP 2.0M

420.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.14

13.43

-46.84%

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

Last update for Shaab: July 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $784 in Shaab versus $477 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 420% higher in Shaab, 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 $82.0 in Shaab versus $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $179 in Shaab vs $193 in Medellin – so Shaab wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Shaab vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shaab is pricier by about 34%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,068 per month in Shaab and $1,546 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 $82.0 in Shaab and $33.00 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 $1,378 in Shaab and $1,031 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,031, than in Shaab at $1,378. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shaab 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, Shaab makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.