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 $3,085 per month in The Pearl-Qatar vs $1,003 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,305 per month in The Pearl-Qatar vs $1,573 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,526 per month in The Pearl-Qatar vs $2,143 in Medellin, rent included.

The Pearl-Qatar costs about 208% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The Pearl-Qatar sits 132% above the global median, while Medellin is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.71 QAR 24.42

$5.91 COP 18.6K

13.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.00 QAR 175

$32.96 COP 103.8K

45.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.77 QAR 24.64

$7.43 COP 23.4K

-8.88%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.75 QAR 42.77

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.91 QAR 39.71

Cappuccino

$4.93 QAR 17.95

$1.65 COP 5,207

198.79%

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

$0.80 QAR 2.93

$1.10 COP 3,468

-27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 QAR 1.12

$0.78 COP 2,458

-60.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 QAR 6.46

$1.10 COP 3,474

60.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 QAR 5.70

$1.26 COP 3,962

23.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 QAR 8.01

$1.38 COP 4,349

59.42%

Eggs

$2.65 QAR 9.66

$2.18 COP 6,858

21.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.75 QAR 28.21

$4.49 COP 14.1K

72.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.57 QAR 27.54

$5.79 COP 18.2K

30.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.42 QAR 37.93

$8.97 COP 28.2K

16.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 QAR 7.51

$2.32 COP 7,308

-11.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 QAR 5.93

$1.06 COP 3,352

53.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 QAR 5.67

$1.52 COP 4,774

2.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 QAR 5.32

$1.36 COP 4,270

7.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 QAR 3.52

$1.13 COP 3,552

-14.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 QAR 3.54

$1.17 COP 3,689

-17.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 QAR 4.83

$0.90 COP 2,838

47.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 QAR 1.65

$0.90 COP 2,823

-50.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$10.38 QAR 37.80

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 QAR 6.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 QAR 11.08

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.43 QAR 23.41

$2.23 COP 7,034

188.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 QAR 1.95

$0.85 COP 2,687

-37.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.15 QAR 117

$41.62 COP 131.0K

-22.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 QAR 7.79

$1.42 COP 4,459

50.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 QAR 1.87

$1.95 COP 6,141

-73.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.84 QAR 35.83

$7.89 COP 24.8K

24.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 QAR 2.03

$0.99 COP 3,118

-43.43%

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

$16.0K QAR 58.1K

$17.6K COP 55.4M

-9.35%

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

$14.9K QAR 54.3K

$26.8K COP 84.4M

-44.32%

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

$92.9 QAR 338

$83.0 COP 261.4K

11.89%

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

$22.14 QAR 80.6

$9.70 COP 30.5K

128.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 QAR 271

$23.52 COP 74.1K

216.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$257 QAR 936

$25.26 COP 79.5K

918.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.52 QAR 133

$19.10 COP 60.1K

91.20%

Cinema Ticket

$12.44 QAR 45.28

$3.95 COP 12.4K

214.94%

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

$799 QAR 2,908

$316 COP 994.2K

153.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K QAR 37.4K

$5,975 COP 18.8M

71.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 QAR 222

$60.0 COP 188.9K

1.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 QAR 196

$31.82 COP 100.2K

69.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 QAR 328

$102 COP 320.1K

-11.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.2 QAR 332

$107 COP 338.3K

-15.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,265 QAR 8,243

$475 COP 1.5M

376.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 QAR 7,451

$374 COP 1.2M

447.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,892 QAR 17.8K

$849 COP 2.7M

476.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,382 QAR 12.3K

$719 COP 2.3M

370.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,392 QAR 26.9K

$3,265 COP 10.3M

126.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,354 QAR 19.5K

$1,441 COP 4.5M

271.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,387 QAR 26.9K

$624 COP 2.0M

1082.98%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,265 in The Pearl-Qatar versus $475 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 1083% 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: $194 vs $193 – 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 208%, 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 $4,627 per month in The Pearl-Qatar and $1,504 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 $3,085 in The Pearl-Qatar and $1,003 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 $1,003, than in The Pearl-Qatar at $3,085. 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.