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: $1,341 in Al Khobar versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,136 in Al Khobar versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,931 in Al Khobar versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Al Khobar is roughly 30% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al Khobar is 0% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.80 SAR 25.51

$5.92 COP 21.5K

14.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.4 SAR 196

$32.75 COP 119.1K

59.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 SAR 29.27

$7.20 COP 26.2K

8.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 SAR 7.63

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 SAR 10.23

Cappuccino

$4.23 SAR 15.84

$1.70 COP 6,186

148.82%

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

$1.02 SAR 3.84

$1.10 COP 3,996

-7.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 SAR 1.83

$0.72 COP 2,625

-31.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,067

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 SAR 6.63

$1.06 COP 3,837

66.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 SAR 5.02

$1.25 COP 4,531

7.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 SAR 9.01

$1.39 COP 5,060

72.66%

Eggs

$2.82 SAR 10.57

$2.26 COP 8,229

24.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.88 SAR 25.80

$4.33 COP 15.8K

58.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.05 SAR 33.93

$5.84 COP 21.2K

54.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.37 SAR 46.39

$8.83 COP 32.1K

40.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 SAR 9.11

$2.24 COP 8,159

8.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 SAR 6.47

$1.08 COP 3,911

60.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 SAR 8.29

$1.53 COP 5,563

44.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

$1.37 COP 4,987

18.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 SAR 5.36

$1.13 COP 4,109

26.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.46

$1.12 COP 4,067

53.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 SAR 6.40

$0.85 COP 3,080

101.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$0.91 COP 3,305

-35.16%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.72 SAR 10.21

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 SAR 5.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 SAR 7.02

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.59 SAR 24.71

$2.33 COP 8,477

182.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,342

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,617

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 SAR 3.40

$0.79 COP 2,859

15.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.5 SAR 223

$41.13 COP 149.6K

44.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 SAR 8.29

$1.44 COP 5,223

53.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 SAR 4.90

$1.91 COP 6,952

-31.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.69 SAR 25.08

$8.02 COP 29.2K

-16.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.38

$0.94 COP 3,410

-32.98%

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

$21.0K SAR 78.7K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

17.16%

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

$23.1K SAR 86.5K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-13.90%

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

$123 SAR 461

$84.0 COP 305.4K

46.36%

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

$34.30 SAR 129

$9.60 COP 34.9K

257.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.9 SAR 303

$24.16 COP 87.9K

234.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$109 SAR 409

$25.88 COP 94.1K

321.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.07 SAR 135

$19.04 COP 69.3K

89.44%

Cinema Ticket

$17.15 SAR 64.3

$3.92 COP 14.2K

337.50%

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

$306 SAR 1,147

$306 COP 1.1M

-0.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,552 SAR 28.3K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

27.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 SAR 236

$57.9 COP 210.6K

8.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.8 SAR 258

$31.82 COP 115.7K

116.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 SAR 372

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-0.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 SAR 297

$107 COP 389.7K

-26.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 SAR 1,639

$487 COP 1.8M

-10.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 SAR 1,479

$368 COP 1.3M

7.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,054 SAR 3,952

$826 COP 3.0M

27.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$788 SAR 2,955

$716 COP 2.6M

10.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,411 SAR 9,040

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-17.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,432 SAR 5,370

$1,407 COP 5.1M

1.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,942 SAR 7,283

$546 COP 2.0M

256.00%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Al Khobar and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays 256% 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: $52.0 in Al Khobar vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 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 30% 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 256% 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: $437 in Al Khobar versus $487 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 45% less than in Al Khobar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $306 in Al Khobar versus $306 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,341 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 $1,034 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 30% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.