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: $1,074 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,589 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,596 in Al-hawiyah versus $2,364 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,118 in Al-hawiyah versus $3,139 in Medellin.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Al-hawiyah is 20% below, Medellin is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 SAR 17.48

$8.01 COP 25.9K

-41.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.67 SAR 100

$46.55 COP 150.8K

-42.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.85 SAR 25.70

$9.43 COP 30.6K

-27.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.49 SAR 5.59

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 SAR 5.66

Cappuccino

$2.53 SAR 9.50

$2.91 COP 9,432

-13.06%

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

$0.71 SAR 2.65

$1.75 COP 5,678

-59.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 SAR 0.86

$1.32 COP 4,289

-82.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 10.1K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 18.0K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 SAR 7.06

$1.41 COP 4,570

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 SAR 3.59

$2.44 COP 7,907

-60.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 SAR 8.21

$1.63 COP 5,278

34.36%

Eggs

$2.55 SAR 9.58

$2.82 COP 9,140

-9.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.80 SAR 21.78

$9.69 COP 31.4K

-40.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.95 SAR 44.85

$9.32 COP 30.2K

28.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 SAR 49.09

$13.46 COP 43.6K

-2.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 SAR 7.60

$4.00 COP 13.0K

-49.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.07

$1.48 COP 4,797

9.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 SAR 6.85

$2.12 COP 6,881

-13.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 SAR 5.54

$2.25 COP 7,298

-34.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 SAR 5.05

$1.91 COP 6,193

-29.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 SAR 5.66

$1.62 COP 5,247

-6.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 SAR 4.08

$1.15 COP 3,719

-5.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 SAR 2.59

$1.26 COP 4,088

-45.24%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.59 SAR 9.73

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.80

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.08 SAR 30.33

$3.82 COP 12.4K

111.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 42.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,168

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,308

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 SAR 4.20

$1.17 COP 3,793

-4.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.31 SAR 118

$75.0 COP 243.0K

-58.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 SAR 9.09

$1.27 COP 4,123

90.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 SAR 10.29

$2.05 COP 6,640

33.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.50 SAR 50.7

$8.20 COP 26.6K

64.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 SAR 2.28

$1.27 COP 4,113

-51.97%

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

$44.4K SAR 166.7K

$26.8K COP 86.7M

65.83%

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

$21.1K SAR 79.2K

$34.4K COP 111.5M

-38.64%

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

$66.5 SAR 249

$162 COP 525.5K

-59.03%

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

$35.32 SAR 133

$13.12 COP 42.5K

169.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.9 SAR 232

$28.09 COP 91.0K

120.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.4 SAR 328

$44.33 COP 143.6K

97.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.9K

Cinema Ticket

$15.06 SAR 56.5

$6.09 COP 19.7K

147.29%

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

$395 SAR 1,483

$764 COP 2.5M

-48.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,923 SAR 33.5K

$8,904 COP 28.8M

0.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.43 SAR 50.4

$85.0 COP 275.3K

-84.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 SAR 202

$57.5 COP 186.2K

-6.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.12 SAR 151

$132 COP 426.9K

-69.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.4 SAR 200

$95.8 COP 310.2K

-44.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$545 SAR 2,044

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-47.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 SAR 1,309

$604 COP 2.0M

-42.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$873 SAR 3,279

$1,802 COP 5.8M

-51.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 SAR 2,102

$993 COP 3.2M

-43.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,288 SAR 8,591

$3,921 COP 12.7M

-41.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,239 SAR 4,652

$1,639 COP 5.3M

-24.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

10.94

-52.01%

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

Last update for Al-hawiyah: October 3, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $545 in Al-hawiyah and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in Al-hawiyah vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $218 vs $288 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 48% in total monthly costs ($1,074 vs $1,589 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,610 in Al-hawiyah and $2,384 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: $545 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,028 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 $27.00 versus $47.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,074 per month in Al-hawiyah versus $1,589 in Medellin – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,074 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,589 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 48% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.