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 $3,003 per month in The Pearl-Qatar vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,284 per month in The Pearl-Qatar vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,566 per month in The Pearl-Qatar vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

The Pearl-Qatar costs about 195% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The Pearl-Qatar sits 123% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.82 QAR 24.82

$5.95 COP 20.8K

14.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.40 QAR 173

$33.33 COP 116.3K

42.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.96 QAR 25.33

$7.23 COP 25.2K

-3.73%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.49 QAR 41.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.78 QAR 39.23

Cappuccino

$4.95 QAR 18.03

$1.63 COP 5,687

203.68%

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

$0.86 QAR 3.13

$1.09 COP 3,821

-21.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 QAR 1.11

$0.73 COP 2,548

-57.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 QAR 6.36

$1.05 COP 3,662

66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 QAR 5.85

$1.29 COP 4,515

24.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 QAR 7.99

$1.32 COP 4,617

66.67%

Eggs

$2.56 QAR 9.30

$2.27 COP 7,927

12.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.60 QAR 27.65

$4.35 COP 15.2K

74.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.60 QAR 27.67

$5.88 COP 20.5K

29.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 QAR 38.76

$8.61 COP 30.0K

23.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 QAR 7.51

$2.25 COP 7,844

-8.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 QAR 5.97

$1.07 COP 3,733

53.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 QAR 5.75

$1.52 COP 5,322

3.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 QAR 5.05

$1.42 COP 4,964

-2.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 QAR 3.46

$1.17 COP 4,084

-18.80%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 QAR 3.36

$1.17 COP 4,077

-21.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 QAR 4.83

$0.89 COP 3,096

49.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 QAR 1.64

$0.90 COP 3,146

-50.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.88 QAR 35.96

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 QAR 6.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 QAR 10.89

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.39 QAR 23.27

$2.25 COP 7,837

184.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 QAR 1.91

$0.84 COP 2,916

-36.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.01 QAR 113

$41.95 COP 146.4K

-26.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 QAR 8.08

$1.41 COP 4,912

57.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 QAR 2.02

$1.90 COP 6,634

-71.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.66 QAR 35.15

$7.75 COP 27.0K

24.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 QAR 1.98

$1.01 COP 3,509

-46.53%

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

$15.7K QAR 57.1K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

-10.80%

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

$14.9K QAR 54.3K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-43.73%

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

$90.8 QAR 330

$83.7 COP 292.1K

8.45%

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

$22.21 QAR 80.8

$9.45 COP 33.0K

135.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.6 QAR 264

$24.11 COP 84.1K

201.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$254 QAR 923

$25.31 COP 88.3K

902.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.59 QAR 133

$19.14 COP 66.8K

91.17%

Cinema Ticket

$12.26 QAR 44.61

$4.10 COP 14.3K

199.02%

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

$782 QAR 2,845

$312 COP 1.1M

150.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K QAR 38.1K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

74.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.5 QAR 220

$58.0 COP 202.6K

4.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 QAR 200

$32.56 COP 113.6K

68.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 QAR 329

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-9.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.1 QAR 324

$109 COP 378.8K

-17.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 QAR 8,271

$482 COP 1.7M

371.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 QAR 7,462

$379 COP 1.3M

440.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,809 QAR 17.5K

$837 COP 2.9M

474.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,401 QAR 12.4K

$723 COP 2.5M

370.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,534 QAR 27.4K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

165.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,376 QAR 19.6K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

339.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,375 QAR 26.8K

$541 COP 1.9M

1263.63%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,272 in The Pearl-Qatar versus $482 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 1264% 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 $47.00 in The Pearl-Qatar versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $194 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 195%, 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 $4,504 per month in The Pearl-Qatar and $1,525 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 $47.00 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 $3,003 in The Pearl-Qatar and $1,017 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 $1,017, than in The Pearl-Qatar at $3,003. 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.