Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Khobar and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Khobar and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,346 in Al Khobar versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,152 in Al Khobar versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,958 in Al Khobar versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Al Khobar is roughly 32% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al Khobar is 0% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.67 SAR 25.03

$5.95 COP 20.6K

12.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 SAR 198

$33.33 COP 115.1K

58.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.04 SAR 30.18

$7.23 COP 25.0K

11.20%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 SAR 7.67

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 SAR 10.09

Cappuccino

$4.34 SAR 16.31

$1.63 COP 5,629

166.26%

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

$0.94 SAR 3.53

$1.09 COP 3,782

-13.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 SAR 1.92

$0.73 COP 2,522

-30.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,003

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.2K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

$1.05 COP 3,625

61.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 SAR 5.25

$1.29 COP 4,469

8.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 SAR 8.64

$1.32 COP 4,570

74.24%

Eggs

$2.92 SAR 10.96

$2.27 COP 7,846

28.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.70 SAR 25.15

$4.35 COP 15.0K

54.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 SAR 34.81

$5.88 COP 20.3K

57.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.58 SAR 47.21

$8.61 COP 29.7K

46.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 SAR 9.33

$2.25 COP 7,763

10.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 SAR 6.54

$1.07 COP 3,695

62.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 SAR 8.38

$1.52 COP 5,267

46.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 SAR 6.10

$1.42 COP 4,914

14.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 SAR 5.33

$1.17 COP 4,042

21.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$1.17 COP 4,035

47.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

$0.89 COP 3,064

92.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 SAR 2.35

$0.90 COP 3,114

-30.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.61 SAR 9.79

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 SAR 5.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 SAR 7.35

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.81 SAR 25.55

$2.25 COP 7,757

202.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,936

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,216

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 SAR 3.63

$0.84 COP 2,886

15.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.2 SAR 230

$41.95 COP 144.9K

45.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 SAR 8.21

$1.41 COP 4,861

55.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 SAR 4.87

$1.90 COP 6,567

-31.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.56 SAR 24.63

$7.75 COP 26.8K

-15.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 SAR 2.29

$1.01 COP 3,473

-39.60%

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

$21.5K SAR 80.9K

$17.6K COP 60.7M

22.55%

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

$23.4K SAR 87.9K

$26.5K COP 91.5M

-11.64%

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

$125 SAR 468

$83.7 COP 289.1K

49.07%

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

$34.88 SAR 131

$9.45 COP 32.6K

269.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.1 SAR 304

$24.11 COP 83.3K

236.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$109 SAR 410

$25.31 COP 87.4K

331.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.43 SAR 137

$19.14 COP 66.1K

90.33%

Cinema Ticket

$17.66 SAR 66.3

$4.10 COP 14.2K

330.73%

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

$304 SAR 1,140

$312 COP 1.1M

-2.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,640 SAR 28.7K

$5,993 COP 20.7M

27.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 SAR 242

$58.0 COP 200.5K

11.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.2 SAR 260

$32.56 COP 112.5K

112.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 SAR 373

$99.6 COP 344.1K

-0.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.1 SAR 293

$109 COP 375.0K

-28.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 SAR 1,648

$482 COP 1.7M

-8.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 SAR 1,521

$379 COP 1.3M

6.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 SAR 3,830

$837 COP 2.9M

21.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$811 SAR 3,043

$723 COP 2.5M

12.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,399 SAR 9,004

$2,840 COP 9.8M

-15.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,466 SAR 5,502

$1,223 COP 4.2M

19.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,861 SAR 6,983

$541 COP 1.9M

244.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.84

13.43

-71.41%

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

Last update for Al Khobar: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $439 in Al Khobar and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays 244% 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: $53.0 in Al Khobar vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $218 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 Khobar vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Al Khobar. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Al Khobar pays 244% 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: $439 in Al Khobar versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 46% less than in Al Khobar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $304 in Al Khobar versus $312 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,346 in Al Khobar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Al Khobar. 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 $1,017 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Al Khobar 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 32% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.