Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sulaymaniyah and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah: $773 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$773

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $773 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $1,589 in Medellin, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah $773
Medellin $1,589

A couple spends around $1,194 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $2,364 in Medellin, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah $1,194
Medellin $2,364

A family of three spends $1,615 per month in Sulaymaniyah vs $3,139 in Medellin, rent included.

Sulaymaniyah $1,615
Medellin $3,139

Sulaymaniyah is about 51% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Sulaymaniyah sits 42% below the global median, while Medellin is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.07 IQD 7,660

$8.01 COP 25.5K

-36.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.93 IQD 34.6K

$46.55 COP 148.3K

-50.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 IQD 10.6K

$9.43 COP 30.1K

-25.34%

Cappuccino

$2.88 IQD 4,344

$2.91 COP 9,277

-1.03%

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

$0.50 IQD 759

$1.75 COP 5,585

-71.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 IQD 378

$1.32 COP 4,218

-81.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 IQD 5,943

$3.13 COP 9,969

25.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 IQD 3,427

$5.55 COP 17.7K

-59.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 IQD 1,935

$1.41 COP 4,495

-9.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 IQD 1,519

$2.44 COP 7,777

-58.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 IQD 2,812

$1.63 COP 5,191

14.11%

Eggs

$1.77 IQD 2,672

$2.82 COP 8,990

-37.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.96 IQD 7,490

$9.69 COP 30.9K

-48.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.22 IQD 6,382

$9.32 COP 29.7K

-54.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 IQD 23.1K

$13.46 COP 42.9K

13.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 IQD 1,935

$4.00 COP 12.8K

-68.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 IQD 1,937

$1.48 COP 4,719

-13.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 IQD 1,737

$2.12 COP 6,768

-45.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 IQD 1,025

$2.25 COP 7,178

-69.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 847

$1.91 COP 6,092

-70.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 IQD 1,096

$1.62 COP 5,160

-54.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 IQD 1,101

$1.15 COP 3,658

-36.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 IQD 752

$1.26 COP 4,021

-60.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 IQD 3,444

$3.82 COP 12.2K

-40.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 IQD 17.0K

$13.11 COP 41.8K

-14.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 IQD 2,949

$1.60 COP 5,083

21.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 IQD 2,141

$2.26 COP 7,188

-37.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 IQD 902

$1.17 COP 3,731

-48.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.68 IQD 34.3K

$75.0 COP 239.0K

-69.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 IQD 3,361

$1.27 COP 4,056

74.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 IQD 3,531

$2.05 COP 6,531

14.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.50 IQD 8,306

$8.20 COP 26.1K

-32.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 IQD 1,045

$1.27 COP 4,046

-45.67%

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

$20.9K IQD 31.5M

$26.8K COP 85.3M

-22.04%

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

$18.9K IQD 28.6M

$34.4K COP 109.6M

-44.95%

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

$100 IQD 151.7K

$162 COP 516.9K

-38.12%

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

$11.49 IQD 17.4K

$13.12 COP 41.8K

-12.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.04 IQD 42.4K

$28.09 COP 89.5K

-0.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.70 IQD 60.0K

$44.33 COP 141.2K

-10.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.09 IQD 30.4K

$16.33 COP 52.0K

23.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 IQD 11.5K

$6.09 COP 19.4K

24.47%

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

$173 IQD 261.0K

$764 COP 2.4M

-77.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,946 IQD 4.5M

$8,904 COP 28.4M

-66.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.91 IQD 28.6K

$85.0 COP 270.8K

-77.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.19 IQD 38.1K

$57.5 COP 183.2K

-56.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.24 IQD 65.3K

$132 COP 419.8K

-67.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.64 IQD 58.4K

$95.8 COP 305.1K

-59.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$215 IQD 324.7K

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-79.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 IQD 264.2K

$604 COP 1.9M

-71.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 IQD 743.9K

$1,802 COP 5.7M

-72.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 IQD 548.8K

$993 COP 3.2M

-63.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$786 IQD 1.2M

$3,921 COP 12.5M

-79.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$630 IQD 952.4K

$1,639 COP 5.2M

-61.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$584 IQD 882.1K

$626 COP 2.0M

-6.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.77

10.94

-47.26%

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

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 5, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sulaymaniyah

$188 24.2%

Medellin

$288 18.3% 53.1% $100

Accommodation & Living

Sulaymaniyah

$175 22.5%

Medellin

$604 38.3% 246% $430

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sulaymaniyah

$140 18%

Medellin

$203 12.9% 45.4% $64

Eating Out

Sulaymaniyah

$123 15.9%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 34.8% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Sulaymaniyah

$57 7.3%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 194% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Sulaymaniyah

$55 7.1%

Medellin

$57 3.6% 3% $1.6

Getting Around

Sulaymaniyah

$39 5%

Medellin

$91 5.8% 134% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $215 in Sulaymaniyah 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 7% higher in Medellin, 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 $23.00 in Sulaymaniyah versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $288 – making Sulaymaniyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

05:40 5:40 AM

21:40 9:40 PM

8 h behind Sulaymaniyah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

823,199

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,695 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,574 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sulaymaniyah Medellin 12,310 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Sulaymaniyah
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

Sulaymaniyah vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 106%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,160 per month in Sulaymaniyah and $2,384 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sulaymaniyah, 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 $23.00 in Sulaymaniyah 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 $773 in Sulaymaniyah and $1,589 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 106%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sulaymaniyah, where all-in costs run around $773, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Sulaymaniyah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sulaymaniyah – 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 Sulaymaniyah. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.