Cost of Living Comparison Between Shuwaikh and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Shuwaikh and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,365 per month in Shuwaikh vs $1,028 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,339 per month in Shuwaikh vs $1,586 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,312 per month in Shuwaikh vs $2,144 in Medellin, rent included.

Shuwaikh costs about 33% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Shuwaikh sits 2% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.93 KWD 3.05

$6.00 COP 20.6K

65.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.2 KWD 24.62

$32.84 COP 112.5K

144.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 KWD 2.74

$7.42 COP 25.4K

20.49%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 KWD 0.76

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 KWD 1.10

Cappuccino

$6.10 KWD 1.87

$1.65 COP 5,659

269.70%

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

$0.65 KWD 0.20

$1.07 COP 3,663

-39.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 KWD 0.11

$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)

$1.64 KWD 0.50

$1.05 COP 3,597

56.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 KWD 0.38

$1.31 COP 4,479

-4.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 KWD 0.54

$1.34 COP 4,591

31.34%

Eggs

$2.09 KWD 0.64

$2.19 COP 7,521

-4.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.14 KWD 1.58

$4.41 COP 15.1K

16.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.38 KWD 1.96

$5.69 COP 19.5K

12.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.42 KWD 3.20

$8.52 COP 29.2K

22.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 KWD 0.75

$2.34 COP 8,023

3.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 KWD 0.58

$1.11 COP 3,804

70.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 KWD 0.55

$1.52 COP 5,210

18.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 KWD 0.44

$1.37 COP 4,680

5.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 KWD 0.40

$1.15 COP 3,950

12.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 KWD 0.40

$1.18 COP 4,043

11.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 KWD 0.50

$0.84 COP 2,885

95.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 KWD 0.14

$0.86 COP 2,931

-46.51%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.30 KWD 1.01

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 KWD 0.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 KWD 0.89

$2.26 COP 7,753

28.76%

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)

$0.88 KWD 0.27

$0.79 COP 2,721

11.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.58 KWD 13.37

$40.83 COP 139.9K

6.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 KWD 1.01

$1.47 COP 5,023

124.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.17 KWD 0.97

$1.92 COP 6,568

65.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.36 KWD 5.02

$7.77 COP 26.6K

110.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.36 KWD 0.11

$1.01 COP 3,464

-64.36%

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

$21.2K KWD 6,492

$17.7K COP 60.5M

19.80%

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

$20.2K KWD 6,194

$26.5K COP 90.7M

-23.71%

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

$63.4 KWD 19.47

$81.1 COP 277.9K

-21.78%

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

$18.31 KWD 5.62

$9.43 COP 32.3K

94.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.08 KWD 8.00

$23.86 COP 81.8K

9.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.4 KWD 28.97

$25.99 COP 89.1K

263.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.20 KWD 14.49

$18.71 COP 64.1K

152.27%

Cinema Ticket

$11.22 KWD 3.44

$4.09 COP 14.0K

174.33%

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

$399 KWD 123

$315 COP 1.1M

27.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,624 KWD 2,033

$6,022 COP 20.6M

10.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.57 KWD 12.76

$59.7 COP 204.6K

-30.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.79 KWD 13.13

$31.97 COP 109.6K

33.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 KWD 27.07

$101 COP 346.9K

-12.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.7 KWD 25.37

$105 COP 360.3K

-21.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$794 KWD 244

$485 COP 1.7M

63.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 KWD 189

$365 COP 1.3M

68.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,562 KWD 479

$827 COP 2.8M

88.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 KWD 389

$730 COP 2.5M

73.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 KWD 1,319

$551 COP 1.9M

680.01%

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 Shuwaikh: June 15, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $794 in Shuwaikh 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 680% higher in Shuwaikh, 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 $80.0 in Shuwaikh versus $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $179 in Shuwaikh vs $190 in Medellin – so Shuwaikh 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

Shuwaikh vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shuwaikh is pricier by about 33%, 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 $2,048 per month in Shuwaikh 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 $80.0 in Shuwaikh 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 $1,365 in Shuwaikh 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 Shuwaikh at $1,365. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shuwaikh 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, Shuwaikh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.