Cost of Living Comparison Between The Pearl-Qatar and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between The Pearl-Qatar and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,059 per month in The Pearl-Qatar vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,353 per month in The Pearl-Qatar vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,647 per month in The Pearl-Qatar vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

The Pearl-Qatar costs about 196% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The Pearl-Qatar sits 128% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.67 QAR 24.28

$5.92 COP 21.4K

12.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.63 QAR 173

$32.75 COP 118.2K

45.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 QAR 25.08

$7.20 COP 26.0K

-4.31%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.71 QAR 42.64

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.01 QAR 40.08

Cappuccino

$5.12 QAR 18.62

$1.70 COP 6,140

201.18%

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

$0.83 QAR 3.04

$1.10 COP 3,966

-24.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 QAR 1.20

$0.72 COP 2,605

-54.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 QAR 6.29

$1.06 COP 3,809

63.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 QAR 5.89

$1.25 COP 4,497

29.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 QAR 8.12

$1.39 COP 5,022

60.43%

Eggs

$2.68 QAR 9.74

$2.26 COP 8,168

18.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.65 QAR 27.84

$4.33 COP 15.6K

76.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 QAR 28.92

$5.84 COP 21.1K

36.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.36 QAR 37.72

$8.83 COP 31.9K

17.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 QAR 7.16

$2.24 COP 8,099

-12.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 QAR 5.92

$1.08 COP 3,882

50.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 QAR 5.50

$1.53 COP 5,522

-1.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 QAR 5.22

$1.37 COP 4,950

4.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 QAR 3.54

$1.13 COP 4,078

-14.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 QAR 3.41

$1.12 COP 4,036

-16.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 QAR 5.05

$0.85 COP 3,057

63.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 QAR 1.75

$0.91 COP 3,281

-47.25%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.66 QAR 35.15

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 QAR 6.67

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 QAR 10.57

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 QAR 22.36

$2.33 COP 8,414

163.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 QAR 1.94

$0.79 COP 2,838

-32.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.67 QAR 115

$41.13 COP 148.5K

-23.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 QAR 8.17

$1.44 COP 5,184

55.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 QAR 1.93

$1.91 COP 6,901

-72.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.35 QAR 34.02

$8.02 COP 28.9K

16.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.55 QAR 2.02

$0.94 COP 3,385

-41.49%

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

$16.0K QAR 58.1K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

-10.92%

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

$14.7K QAR 53.4K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

-45.21%

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

$92.4 QAR 336

$84.0 COP 303.1K

10.09%

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

$22.33 QAR 81.3

$9.60 COP 34.7K

132.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.8 QAR 269

$24.16 COP 87.2K

205.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$250 QAR 909

$25.88 COP 93.4K

865.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.42 QAR 133

$19.04 COP 68.7K

91.28%

Cinema Ticket

$12.20 QAR 44.42

$3.92 COP 14.1K

211.22%

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

$788 QAR 2,869

$306 COP 1.1M

157.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K QAR 38.0K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

76.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.3 QAR 223

$57.9 COP 209.1K

5.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.9 QAR 196

$31.82 COP 114.9K

69.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 QAR 328

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-9.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.8 QAR 334

$107 COP 386.8K

-14.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,219 QAR 8,077

$487 COP 1.8M

355.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,032 QAR 7,395

$368 COP 1.3M

451.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,862 QAR 17.7K

$826 COP 3.0M

488.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,451 QAR 12.6K

$716 COP 2.6M

381.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,272 QAR 22.8K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

114.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,481 QAR 16.3K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

218.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,383 QAR 26.9K

$546 COP 2.0M

1253.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.94

13.43

-70.66%

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

Last update for The Pearl-Qatar: April 28, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,219 in The Pearl-Qatar versus $487 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 1253% higher in The Pearl-Qatar, 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 The Pearl-Qatar versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $196 vs $190 – making Medellin 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

The Pearl-Qatar vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – The Pearl-Qatar is pricier by about 196%, 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 $4,588 per month in The Pearl-Qatar and $1,550 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 The Pearl-Qatar 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 $3,059 in The Pearl-Qatar and $1,034 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 $1,034, than in The Pearl-Qatar at $3,059. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in The Pearl-Qatar 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, The Pearl-Qatar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.