Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Abha and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Abha: $1,062 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Abha
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Abha Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Abha

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,062

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,062 per month in Abha vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Abha $1,062
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,754 per month in Abha vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Abha $1,754
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,445 per month in Abha vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Abha $2,445
Medellin $3,186

Abha is about 35% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Abha sits 22% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.36 SAR 20.12

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-33.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.4 SAR 189

$47.05 COP 148.0K

7.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.61 SAR 28.58

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-19.89%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 SAR 6.13

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 SAR 5.07

Cappuccino

$3.21 SAR 12.05

$3.01 COP 9,485

6.64%

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

$0.58 SAR 2.18

$1.80 COP 5,660

-67.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 SAR 0.82

$1.41 COP 4,443

-84.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 SAR 6.11

$1.51 COP 4,751

7.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 SAR 2.22

$2.38 COP 7,480

-75.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 SAR 7.53

$1.77 COP 5,573

13.56%

Eggs

$3.08 SAR 11.57

$2.89 COP 9,093

6.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.36 SAR 16.35

$10.19 COP 32.1K

-57.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.46 SAR 27.99

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-24.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.35 SAR 68.8

$13.99 COP 44.0K

31.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 SAR 7.49

$3.97 COP 12.5K

-49.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 SAR 7.17

$1.55 COP 4,883

23.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

$2.18 COP 6,867

-27.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

$2.18 COP 6,870

-24.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 SAR 8.28

$1.96 COP 6,174

12.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 SAR 4.75

$1.59 COP 5,000

-20.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.37 SAR 1.41

$1.15 COP 3,604

-67.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 SAR 1.78

$1.24 COP 3,911

-62.10%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.34 SAR 16.28

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 SAR 4.37

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 SAR 5.67

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.39 SAR 35.22

$3.96 COP 12.5K

137.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,222

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,104

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 SAR 3.00

$1.17 COP 3,674

-31.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.99 SAR 143

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-50.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 SAR 11.31

$1.27 COP 3,989

137.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.73 SAR 10.24

$2.05 COP 6,442

33.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.48 SAR 50.6

$8.55 COP 26.9K

57.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.39

$1.35 COP 4,237

-52.59%

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

$29.2K SAR 109.4K

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-14.42%

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

$19.7K SAR 74.0K

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-43.10%

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

$87.8 SAR 329

$170 COP 533.7K

-48.25%

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

$37.47 SAR 141

$13.55 COP 42.6K

176.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.2 SAR 286

$28.07 COP 88.3K

171.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$93.4 SAR 351

$43.70 COP 137.5K

113.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.58 SAR 167

$17.19 COP 54.1K

159.34%

Cinema Ticket

$16.19 SAR 60.8

$6.91 COP 21.7K

134.30%

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

$213 SAR 798

$797 COP 2.5M

-73.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,133 SAR 15.5K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

-54.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.20 SAR 117

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-63.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.1 SAR 263

$58.0 COP 182.3K

20.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 SAR 360

$135 COP 424.6K

-28.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.8 SAR 247

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-32.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$317 SAR 1,189

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-73.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 SAR 942

$642 COP 2.0M

-60.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$539 SAR 2,023

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-73.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 SAR 2,101

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-44.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$934 SAR 3,504

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-77.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,313 SAR 4,929

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-31.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,204 SAR 8,272

$657 COP 2.1M

235.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-45.16%

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

Last update for Abha: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Abha

$251 23.6%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 156% $390

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Abha

$201 19%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 4.9% $9.8

Groceries & Markets

Abha

$200 18.9%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 48.3% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Abha

$126 11.8%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 54.3% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Abha

$118 11.1%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 42.8% $51

Eating Out

Abha

$107 10.1%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 57.8% $62

Getting Around

Abha

$58 5.5%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 61.7% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $317 in Abha versus $1,208 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 Abha are about 3.4 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Abha versus $47 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Abha vs $297 in Medellin – so Abha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Abha

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

20:43 8:43 PM

12:43 12:43 PM

8 h behind Abha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

236,157

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Abha Medellin 12,700 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Abha
Medellin

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

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

Abha vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 54% more than Abha, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,593 per month in Abha and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Abha, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $317 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 48% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Abha and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,062 in Abha and $1,639 in Medellin. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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