Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharjah and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharjah and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,544 per month in Sharjah vs $1,028 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,237 per month in Sharjah vs $1,586 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,930 per month in Sharjah vs $2,144 in Medellin, rent included.

Sharjah costs about 50% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Sharjah sits 16% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.59 AED 20.55

$6.00 COP 20.6K

-6.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.42 AED 119

$32.84 COP 112.5K

-1.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.25 AED 33.96

$7.42 COP 25.4K

24.66%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.74 AED 35.79

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.78 AED 35.90

Cappuccino

$4.40 AED 16.15

$1.65 COP 5,659

166.67%

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

$0.99 AED 3.64

$1.07 COP 3,663

-7.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 AED 1.37

$0.76 COP 2,607

-51.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,908

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 AED 6.17

$1.05 COP 3,597

60.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 AED 4.19

$1.31 COP 4,479

-12.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 AED 7.49

$1.34 COP 4,591

52.24%

Eggs

$2.76 AED 10.15

$2.19 COP 7,521

26.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.12 AED 37.17

$4.41 COP 15.1K

129.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 AED 24.70

$5.69 COP 19.5K

18.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.72 AED 32.03

$8.52 COP 29.2K

2.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.00

$2.34 COP 8,023

-18.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 AED 5.68

$1.11 COP 3,804

39.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 AED 5.44

$1.52 COP 5,210

-2.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 AED 4.46

$1.37 COP 4,680

-10.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 AED 3.81

$1.15 COP 3,950

-9.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 AED 4.52

$1.18 COP 4,043

4.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 AED 5.30

$0.84 COP 2,885

71.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 AED 2.17

$0.86 COP 2,931

-31.40%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.67 AED 57.6

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 AED 7.19

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 AED 12.16

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.36 AED 23.36

$2.26 COP 7,753

181.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.8K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,109

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,484

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 AED 5.82

$0.79 COP 2,721

101.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.41 AED 152

$40.83 COP 139.9K

1.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 AED 13.42

$1.47 COP 5,023

148.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 AED 2.39

$1.92 COP 6,568

-66.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 AED 17.85

$7.77 COP 26.6K

-37.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 AED 2.98

$1.01 COP 3,464

-19.80%

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

$45.4K AED 166.7K

$17.7K COP 60.5M

157.07%

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

$22.2K AED 81.7K

$26.5K COP 90.7M

-15.95%

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

$199 AED 731

$81.1 COP 277.9K

145.59%

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

$65.1 AED 239

$9.43 COP 32.3K

590.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 AED 378

$23.86 COP 81.8K

331.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.4 AED 233

$25.99 COP 89.1K

143.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.45 AED 138

$18.71 COP 64.1K

100.16%

Cinema Ticket

$13.04 AED 47.91

$4.09 COP 14.0K

218.83%

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

$280 AED 1,027

$315 COP 1.1M

-11.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,073 AED 22.3K

$6,022 COP 20.6M

0.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 AED 189

$59.7 COP 204.6K

-14.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$98.6 AED 362

$31.97 COP 109.6K

208.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 AED 351

$101 COP 346.9K

-5.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 AED 303

$105 COP 360.3K

-21.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$761 AED 2,795

$485 COP 1.7M

56.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$603 AED 2,213

$365 COP 1.3M

65.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,647 AED 6,050

$827 COP 2.8M

99.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 AED 3,747

$730 COP 2.5M

39.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,260 AED 30.3K

$2,992 COP 10.3M

176.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,673 AED 9,816

$1,314 COP 4.5M

103.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,217 AED 8,143

$551 COP 1.9M

302.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

13.43

-67.09%

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

Last update for Sharjah: June 15, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $761 in Sharjah versus $485 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 303% higher in Sharjah, 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 $32.00 in Sharjah versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $187 vs $190 – making Sharjah 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

Sharjah vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sharjah is pricier by about 50%, and the gap shows up most in Monthly Utilities & Internet. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,316 per month in Sharjah and $1,542 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 $32.00 in Sharjah 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 $1,544 in Sharjah and $1,028 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 $1,028, than in Sharjah at $1,544. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sharjah 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, Sharjah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.