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 $2,622 per month in The Pearl-Qatar vs $1,681 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,869 per month in The Pearl-Qatar vs $2,445 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,117 per month in The Pearl-Qatar vs $3,210 in Medellin, rent included.

The Pearl-Qatar costs about 56% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both The Pearl-Qatar and Medellin sit above the global median – The Pearl-Qatar by 92%, Medellin by 23%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.91 QAR 28.78

$8.02 COP 25.4K

-1.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 QAR 267

$47.87 COP 152.0K

52.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.01 QAR 29.16

$9.89 COP 31.4K

-19.01%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.98 QAR 43.59

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.31 QAR 48.45

Cappuccino

$5.43 QAR 19.75

$3.13 COP 9,937

73.48%

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

$0.94 QAR 3.41

$1.91 COP 6,058

-50.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 QAR 1.64

$1.51 COP 4,794

-70.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 QAR 5.79

$1.44 COP 4,587

10.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 QAR 5.27

$2.49 COP 7,894

-41.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 QAR 7.30

$1.77 COP 5,631

13.56%

Eggs

$2.46 QAR 8.95

$2.96 COP 9,396

-16.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.02 QAR 25.55

$10.07 COP 32.0K

-30.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.36 QAR 30.45

$10.12 COP 32.1K

-17.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.24 QAR 40.91

$14.30 COP 45.4K

-21.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 QAR 7.84

$4.14 COP 13.1K

-48.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 QAR 6.69

$1.61 COP 5,106

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 QAR 5.49

$2.25 COP 7,129

-32.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 QAR 4.64

$2.25 COP 7,150

-43.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 QAR 3.59

$2.04 COP 6,486

-51.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 QAR 3.35

$1.54 COP 4,873

-40.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 QAR 5.06

$1.17 COP 3,715

18.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 QAR 1.85

$1.31 COP 4,148

-61.07%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.31 QAR 33.88

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 QAR 6.99

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 QAR 8.18

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.34 QAR 23.09

$3.90 COP 12.4K

62.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 QAR 2.10

$1.22 COP 3,858

-52.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.33 QAR 114

$80.5 COP 255.5K

-61.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 QAR 7.05

$1.31 COP 4,155

48.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 QAR 1.91

$2.19 COP 6,944

-75.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.60 QAR 34.94

$8.71 COP 27.7K

10.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 QAR 1.95

$1.37 COP 4,334

-60.58%

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

$16.0K QAR 58.2K

$27.8K COP 88.4M

-42.51%

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

$14.9K QAR 54.3K

$35.8K COP 113.6M

-58.29%

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

$89.0 QAR 324

$177 COP 562.9K

-49.79%

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

$31.11 QAR 113

$13.88 COP 44.1K

124.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.6 QAR 271

$29.72 COP 94.4K

150.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$175 QAR 637

$44.88 COP 142.5K

289.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.42 QAR 136

$17.12 COP 54.4K

118.57%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 QAR 42.63

$6.65 COP 21.1K

76.09%

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

$685 QAR 2,492

$813 COP 2.6M

-15.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,903 QAR 36.0K

$9,187 COP 29.2M

7.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.2 QAR 212

$89.5 COP 284.1K

-34.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 QAR 184

$59.0 COP 187.2K

-14.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 QAR 284

$138 COP 438.8K

-43.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 QAR 316

$102 COP 324.2K

-14.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,200 QAR 8,009

$1,062 COP 3.4M

107.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,719 QAR 6,257

$663 COP 2.1M

159.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,324 QAR 15.7K

$1,888 COP 6.0M

128.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,053 QAR 11.1K

$1,027 COP 3.3M

197.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,343 QAR 26.7K

$4,183 COP 13.3M

75.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,526 QAR 20.1K

$1,675 COP 5.3M

229.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,271 QAR 26.5K

$678 COP 2.2M

972.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.29

10.94

-60.79%

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

Last update for The Pearl-Qatar: September 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,200 in The Pearl-Qatar versus $1,062 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 973% 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 $73.0 in The Pearl-Qatar versus $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $196 in The Pearl-Qatar vs $305 in Medellin – so The Pearl-Qatar 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

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

Yes – The Pearl-Qatar is pricier by about 56%, 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 $3,933 per month in The Pearl-Qatar and $2,521 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 $73.0 in The Pearl-Qatar and $48.00 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 $2,622 in The Pearl-Qatar and $1,681 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,681, than in The Pearl-Qatar at $2,622. 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.