Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-hawiyah and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-hawiyah and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,231 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,865 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,498 in Al-hawiyah versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Al-hawiyah is roughly 21% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al-hawiyah 8% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.84 SAR 25.66

$5.95 COP 20.8K

14.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.06 SAR 165

$33.33 COP 116.3K

32.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 SAR 29.10

$7.23 COP 25.2K

7.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 SAR 6.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 SAR 6.79

Cappuccino

$3.59 SAR 13.47

$1.63 COP 5,687

120.25%

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

$0.80 SAR 3.01

$1.09 COP 3,821

-26.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 SAR 1.18

$0.73 COP 2,548

-57.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

$1.05 COP 3,662

57.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 SAR 3.59

$1.29 COP 4,515

-25.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 SAR 8.52

$1.32 COP 4,617

71.97%

Eggs

$2.44 SAR 9.17

$2.27 COP 7,927

7.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.85 SAR 25.71

$4.35 COP 15.2K

57.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.38 SAR 27.68

$5.88 COP 20.5K

25.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 SAR 47.95

$8.61 COP 30.0K

48.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 SAR 8.19

$2.25 COP 7,844

-3.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.91

$1.07 COP 3,733

46.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 SAR 6.31

$1.52 COP 5,322

10.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

$1.42 COP 4,964

10.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 SAR 4.69

$1.17 COP 4,084

6.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 SAR 4.94

$1.17 COP 4,077

12.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 SAR 4.64

$0.89 COP 3,096

39.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.07

$0.90 COP 3,146

-38.89%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.55 SAR 9.57

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SAR 7.85

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 SAR 26.23

$2.25 COP 7,837

210.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.13

$0.84 COP 2,916

30.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.66 SAR 153

$41.95 COP 146.4K

-3.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 SAR 10.28

$1.41 COP 4,912

94.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 SAR 7.11

$1.90 COP 6,634

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.20 SAR 49.55

$7.75 COP 27.0K

70.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.38

$1.01 COP 3,509

-36.63%

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

$26.3K SAR 98.8K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

49.82%

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

$22.5K SAR 84.6K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-14.90%

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

$107 SAR 400

$83.7 COP 292.1K

27.51%

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

$33.14 SAR 124

$9.45 COP 33.0K

250.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.2 SAR 271

$24.11 COP 84.1K

199.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.4 SAR 324

$25.31 COP 88.3K

241.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.07 SAR 132

$19.14 COP 66.8K

83.23%

Cinema Ticket

$15.65 SAR 58.7

$4.10 COP 14.3K

281.71%

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

$349 SAR 1,311

$312 COP 1.1M

11.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,102 SAR 26.7K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

18.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 SAR 221

$58.0 COP 202.6K

1.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.3 SAR 226

$32.56 COP 113.6K

85.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.8 SAR 299

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-19.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.7 SAR 310

$109 COP 378.8K

-23.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 SAR 1,655

$482 COP 1.7M

-8.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 SAR 1,434

$379 COP 1.3M

0.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$855 SAR 3,207

$837 COP 2.9M

2.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 SAR 2,298

$723 COP 2.5M

-15.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,356 SAR 8,840

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-17.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,468 SAR 5,509

$1,223 COP 4.3M

20.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

13.43

-67.09%

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

Last update for Al-hawiyah: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $441 in Al-hawiyah and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Al-hawiyah vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $190 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Al-hawiyah vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-hawiyah and Medellin differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,231 vs $1,017 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Al-hawiyah and $1,525 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $441 in Al-hawiyah versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $44.00 in Al-hawiyah. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,231 per month in Al-hawiyah versus $1,017 in Medellin – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,231 in Al-hawiyah, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Al-hawiyah. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Al-hawiyah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.