Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Urmia and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Urmia: $420 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Urmia
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Urmia Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Urmia

🇮🇷 Iran

$420

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $420 per month in Urmia vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Urmia $420
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $725 per month in Urmia vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Urmia $725
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $1,031 per month in Urmia vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Urmia $1,031
Medellin $3,249

Urmia is about 75% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Urmia sits 69% below the global median, while Medellin is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.90 $4.90

$8.34 COP 26.8K

-41.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.79 $23.79

$46.53 COP 149.7K

-48.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.04 $3.04

$9.47 COP 30.5K

-67.90%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.26 $1.26

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 $1.63

Cappuccino

$1.06 $1.06

$3.13 COP 10.1K

-66.13%

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

$0.74 $0.74

$1.77 COP 5,681

-58.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 $0.45

$1.42 COP 4,582

-68.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.1K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.63 $0.63

$1.53 COP 4,930

-58.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 $0.44

$2.29 COP 7,370

-80.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.94 COP 6,257

20.62%

Eggs

$1.25 $1.25

$3.07 COP 9,864

-59.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$9.99 COP 32.1K

-54.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.52 $2.52

$10.45 COP 33.6K

-75.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.60 $6.60

$13.96 COP 44.9K

-52.72%

Apples (1kg)

$0.92 $0.92

$4.05 COP 13.0K

-77.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.53 COP 4,916

-5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.76 $0.76

$2.10 COP 6,769

-63.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.62 $0.62

$2.29 COP 7,378

-72.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 $0.49

$2.11 COP 6,785

-76.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 $0.51

$1.71 COP 5,498

-70.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 $0.54

$1.17 COP 3,764

-53.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.26 $0.26

$1.58 COP 5,083

-83.54%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.77 $0.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 $0.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 $1.33

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.13 $1.13

$3.91 COP 12.6K

-71.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,667

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,724

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 $0.14

$1.18 COP 3,795

-88.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.82 $9.82

$76.3 COP 245.4K

-87.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 $0.41

$1.81 COP 5,812

-77.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 $0.29

$2.13 COP 6,849

-86.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 $2.66

$8.13 COP 26.2K

-67.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.09 $0.09

$1.28 COP 4,102

-92.97%

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

$50.2K $50.2K

$34.4K COP 110.8M

45.63%

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

$46.3K $46.3K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

35.65%

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

$13.20 $13.20

$178 COP 571.7K

-92.57%

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

$1.52 $1.52

$13.89 COP 44.7K

-89.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$3.87 $3.87

$30.74 COP 98.9K

-87.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.35 $9.35

$41.94 COP 134.9K

-77.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.37 $13.37

$16.80 COP 54.0K

-20.42%

Cinema Ticket

$2.03 $2.03

$7.47 COP 24.0K

-72.82%

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

$108 $108

$790 COP 2.5M

-86.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,410 $2,410

$12.3K COP 39.6M

-80.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.33 $22.33

$86.3 COP 277.7K

-74.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.74 $28.74

$59.3 COP 190.6K

-51.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 $98.0

$138 COP 445.0K

-29.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.95 $31.95

$98.8 COP 317.8K

-67.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$176 $176

$1,341 COP 4.3M

-86.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$130 $130

$667 COP 2.1M

-80.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$327 $327

$1,976 COP 6.4M

-83.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$272 $272

$1,033 COP 3.3M

-73.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$694 $694

$4,098 COP 13.2M

-83.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$602 $602

$1,940 COP 6.2M

-68.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$279 $279

$646 COP 2.1M

-56.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.3

10.94

122.12%

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

Last update for Urmia: November 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Urmia

$130 31%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 413% $537

Groceries & Markets

Urmia

$98 23.4%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 213% $209

Clothing & Footwear

Urmia

$81 19.4%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 111% $91

Eating Out

Urmia

$66 15.7%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 162% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Urmia

$19 4.4%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 1096% $204

Sport & Entertainment

Urmia

$13 3.2%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 324% $43

Getting Around

Urmia

$12 2.9%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 664% $81

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $176 in Urmia versus $1,341 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 in Medellin are about 2.3 times higher, 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 $24 in Urmia versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $98 vs $307 – making Urmia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Urmia

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

03:22 3:22 AM

18:52 6:52 PM

8 h 30 min behind Urmia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

736,224

2,486,723

💱 Currency

USD USD

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,217 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Urmia Medellin 12,190 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Urmia
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Urmia vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 303%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $630 per month in Urmia and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Urmia, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $176 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Urmia and $47 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 $420 in Urmia and $1,692 in Medellin. That makes Urmia about 75% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Urmia, where all-in costs run around $420, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Urmia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Urmia – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Urmia. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.