Cost of Living Comparison Between Ad Dammam and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Ad Dammam and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,210 in Ad Dammam versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,872 in Ad Dammam versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,533 in Ad Dammam versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Ad Dammam is roughly 20% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ad Dammam 10% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.31 SAR 27.42

$5.99 COP 21.4K

22.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.6 SAR 201

$32.86 COP 117.4K

63.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 SAR 29.94

$7.09 COP 25.3K

12.55%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 SAR 6.86

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.82

Cappuccino

$3.70 SAR 13.89

$1.71 COP 6,115

116.37%

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

$0.92 SAR 3.43

$1.10 COP 3,924

-16.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 SAR 1.30

$0.78 COP 2,781

-55.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 SAR 6.43

$1.09 COP 3,906

56.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 SAR 5.43

$1.26 COP 4,508

15.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 SAR 7.85

$1.38 COP 4,922

51.45%

Eggs

$2.24 SAR 8.42

$2.19 COP 7,827

2.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.06 SAR 22.73

$4.40 COP 15.7K

37.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.15 SAR 26.85

$5.63 COP 20.1K

27.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.62 SAR 36.12

$8.89 COP 31.8K

8.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 SAR 7.93

$2.34 COP 8,349

-9.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 SAR 5.62

$1.06 COP 3,777

41.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 SAR 5.20

$1.50 COP 5,374

-8.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 SAR 6.24

$1.38 COP 4,924

20.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.80

$1.15 COP 4,111

11.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 SAR 4.99

$1.16 COP 4,155

14.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 SAR 5.06

$0.89 COP 3,182

51.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.07

$0.84 COP 2,997

-34.52%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.19 SAR 15.73

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 SAR 6.01

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 SAR 7.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.92 SAR 29.73

$2.28 COP 8,145

247.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 SAR 3.36

$0.86 COP 3,056

3.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.16 SAR 151

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-3.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 SAR 12.35

$1.47 COP 5,264

123.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 SAR 9.96

$1.96 COP 7,009

35.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.28 SAR 49.85

$7.74 COP 27.6K

71.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.42

$0.95 COP 3,409

-32.63%

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

$23.1K SAR 86.6K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

27.21%

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

$21.3K SAR 79.8K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-19.73%

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

$117 SAR 438

$82.3 COP 293.7K

41.84%

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

$38.34 SAR 144

$9.50 COP 33.9K

303.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.5 SAR 238

$24.23 COP 86.5K

162.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.9 SAR 266

$25.89 COP 92.4K

173.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.51 SAR 114

$19.00 COP 67.9K

60.58%

Cinema Ticket

$15.54 SAR 58.3

$3.93 COP 14.0K

295.42%

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

$415 SAR 1,559

$309 COP 1.1M

34.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,170 SAR 30.7K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

36.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 SAR 251

$58.7 COP 209.5K

13.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.2 SAR 256

$32.35 COP 115.5K

110.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 SAR 341

$103 COP 366.4K

-11.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.5 SAR 321

$108 COP 387.2K

-21.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$447 SAR 1,678

$476 COP 1.7M

-6.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 SAR 1,408

$379 COP 1.4M

-0.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$800 SAR 3,002

$838 COP 3.0M

-4.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 SAR 2,407

$724 COP 2.6M

-11.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,309 SAR 4,914

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-53.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$805 SAR 3,020

$1,211 COP 4.3M

-33.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,895 SAR 7,110

$512 COP 1.8M

270.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

13.43

-67.76%

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

Last update for Ad Dammam: May 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $447 in Ad Dammam and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ad Dammam pays 270% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Ad Dammam vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $184 vs $188, with Ad Dammam cheaper for home cooking.

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

Ad Dammam vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Ad Dammam. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Ad Dammam pays 270% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $447 in Ad Dammam versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,210 per month in Ad Dammam versus $1,013 in Medellin – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 3% less than in Ad Dammam. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,210 in Ad Dammam, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ad Dammam. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,013 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ad Dammam and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Ad Dammam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.