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: $1,233 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,887 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,541 in Al-hawiyah versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Al-hawiyah is roughly 19% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al-hawiyah 8% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.74 SAR 25.29

$5.92 COP 21.4K

13.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.68 SAR 168

$32.75 COP 118.2K

36.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.14 SAR 30.51

$7.20 COP 26.0K

13.06%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.87

Cappuccino

$3.72 SAR 13.95

$1.70 COP 6,140

118.82%

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

$0.78 SAR 2.94

$1.10 COP 3,966

-29.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 SAR 1.08

$0.72 COP 2,605

-59.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 SAR 6.11

$1.06 COP 3,809

53.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 SAR 3.59

$1.25 COP 4,497

-23.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 SAR 8.89

$1.39 COP 5,022

70.50%

Eggs

$2.51 SAR 9.39

$2.26 COP 8,168

11.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.90 SAR 25.89

$4.33 COP 15.6K

59.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.37 SAR 27.64

$5.84 COP 21.1K

26.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 SAR 49.59

$8.83 COP 31.9K

49.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 SAR 8.23

$2.24 COP 8,099

-2.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.16

$1.08 COP 3,882

51.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.47

$1.53 COP 5,522

12.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.06

$1.37 COP 4,950

18.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 SAR 4.78

$1.13 COP 4,078

12.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 SAR 4.74

$1.12 COP 4,036

12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 SAR 4.62

$0.85 COP 3,057

44.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.05

$0.91 COP 3,281

-39.56%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.21 SAR 12.05

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.42

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SAR 7.83

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.98 SAR 26.19

$2.33 COP 8,414

199.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.95

$0.79 COP 2,838

32.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.59 SAR 152

$41.13 COP 148.5K

-1.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 SAR 10.07

$1.44 COP 5,184

86.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 SAR 7.08

$1.91 COP 6,901

-1.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.06 SAR 48.98

$8.02 COP 28.9K

62.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.43

$0.94 COP 3,385

-30.85%

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

$26.8K SAR 100.6K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

49.76%

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

$21.9K SAR 82.1K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

-18.24%

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

$107 SAR 401

$84.0 COP 303.1K

27.23%

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

$34.15 SAR 128

$9.60 COP 34.7K

255.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.9 SAR 277

$24.16 COP 87.2K

205.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.6 SAR 325

$25.88 COP 93.4K

234.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.74 SAR 134

$19.04 COP 68.7K

87.71%

Cinema Ticket

$15.46 SAR 58.0

$3.92 COP 14.1K

294.39%

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

$354 SAR 1,328

$306 COP 1.1M

15.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,084 SAR 26.6K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

19.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 SAR 223

$57.9 COP 209.1K

2.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 SAR 230

$31.82 COP 114.9K

92.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 SAR 296

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-21.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.4 SAR 305

$107 COP 386.8K

-24.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 SAR 1,626

$487 COP 1.8M

-10.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 SAR 1,438

$368 COP 1.3M

4.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$857 SAR 3,215

$826 COP 3.0M

3.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$614 SAR 2,302

$716 COP 2.6M

-14.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,659 SAR 9,970

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-9.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,489 SAR 5,585

$1,407 COP 5.1M

5.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $434 in Al-hawiyah and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Al-hawiyah vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 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 19% in total monthly costs ($1,233 vs $1,034 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,849 in Al-hawiyah and $1,550 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: $434 in Al-hawiyah versus $487 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 $45.00 in Al-hawiyah. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,233 per month in Al-hawiyah versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,233 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 19% less than in Al-hawiyah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.