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: $1,148 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,687 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,758 in Al-hawiyah versus $2,535 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,368 in Al-hawiyah versus $3,383 in Medellin.

Living in Al-hawiyah costs roughly 32% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al-hawiyah is 16% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.85 SAR 25.73

$7.89 COP 24.2K

-13.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.06 SAR 143

$44.53 COP 136.5K

-14.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.78 SAR 29.22

$9.29 COP 28.5K

-16.25%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 SAR 6.23

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 SAR 7.40

Cappuccino

$3.36 SAR 12.63

$2.90 COP 8,874

15.86%

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

$0.84 SAR 3.15

$1.81 COP 5,541

-53.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 SAR 0.90

$1.55 COP 4,741

-84.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 9,962

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 COP 18.0K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SAR 6.55

$1.38 COP 4,230

26.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 SAR 3.55

$2.45 COP 7,517

-61.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 SAR 8.23

$1.51 COP 4,617

45.03%

Eggs

$2.39 SAR 8.97

$2.78 COP 8,516

-14.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.50 SAR 28.16

$9.05 COP 27.7K

-17.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.62 SAR 28.63

$10.65 COP 32.6K

-28.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 SAR 48.99

$14.63 COP 44.8K

-10.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 SAR 7.86

$3.97 COP 12.2K

-47.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$1.38 COP 4,219

24.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.82

$2.30 COP 7,056

-32.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 SAR 6.33

$2.02 COP 6,185

-16.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 SAR 4.36

$2.09 COP 6,390

-44.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 SAR 4.95

$1.63 COP 4,996

-19.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 SAR 4.47

$1.08 COP 3,313

10.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.08

$1.25 COP 3,843

-56.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.76

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 SAR 6.36

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.88

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 SAR 25.63

$4.03 COP 12.4K

69.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 COP 41.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 4,904

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 COP 9,189

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 SAR 3.92

$1.18 COP 3,611

-11.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.89 SAR 135

$79.9 COP 244.9K

-55.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 SAR 11.27

$1.61 COP 4,920

86.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 SAR 6.92

$2.13 COP 6,533

-13.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.20 SAR 49.55

$8.52 COP 26.1K

54.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.26

$1.35 COP 4,142

-55.56%

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

$45.2K SAR 169.6K

$28.3K COP 86.8M

59.43%

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

$21.6K SAR 81.1K

$35.7K COP 109.4M

-39.46%

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

$101 SAR 378

$151 COP 463.8K

-33.43%

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

$32.19 SAR 121

$13.10 COP 40.1K

145.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.3 SAR 245

$32.30 COP 99.0K

102.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.0 SAR 315

$46.33 COP 141.9K

81.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.71 SAR 138

$17.26 COP 52.9K

112.69%

Cinema Ticket

$13.27 SAR 49.82

$6.43 COP 19.7K

106.38%

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

$342 SAR 1,283

$835 COP 2.6M

-59.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,609 SAR 24.8K

$8,887 COP 27.2M

-25.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 SAR 190

$89.3 COP 273.7K

-43.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.1 SAR 222

$55.3 COP 169.5K

6.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 SAR 357

$137 COP 418.5K

-30.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.8 SAR 333

$109 COP 335.1K

-18.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$573 SAR 2,150

$952 COP 2.9M

-39.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 SAR 1,272

$668 COP 2.0M

-49.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$895 SAR 3,360

$2,020 COP 6.2M

-55.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 SAR 2,101

$1,148 COP 3.5M

-51.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,365 SAR 8,880

$3,696 COP 11.3M

-36.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,401 SAR 5,260

$1,586 COP 4.9M

-11.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.47

10.43

-47.56%

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

Last update for Al-hawiyah: August 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $573 in Al-hawiyah and $952 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38.00 in Al-hawiyah vs $45.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $297 per month, with Al-hawiyah 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 47% in total monthly costs ($1,148 vs $1,687 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,722 in Al-hawiyah and $2,530 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: $573 in Al-hawiyah versus $952 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Al-hawiyah – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $45.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,148 per month in Al-hawiyah versus $1,687 in Medellin – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,148 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,687 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-hawiyah but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Al-hawiyah 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 Al-hawiyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.