Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-Ula and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-Ula and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,197 per month in Al-Ula vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,832 per month in Al-Ula vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,467 per month in Al-Ula vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Al-Ula costs about 18% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Al-Ula and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Al-Ula 11% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.71 SAR 25.18

$5.99 COP 21.4K

12.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.97 SAR 169

$32.86 COP 117.4K

36.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.82 SAR 29.34

$7.09 COP 25.3K

10.30%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 SAR 6.66

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.84

Cappuccino

$3.74 SAR 14.02

$1.71 COP 6,115

118.71%

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

$0.80 SAR 3.02

$1.10 COP 3,924

-27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 SAR 1.07

$0.78 COP 2,781

-62.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SAR 6.31

$1.09 COP 3,906

54.13%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 SAR 3.56

$1.26 COP 4,508

-24.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 SAR 8.69

$1.38 COP 4,922

67.39%

Eggs

$2.40 SAR 9.01

$2.19 COP 7,827

9.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.67 SAR 25.02

$4.40 COP 15.7K

51.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.71 SAR 28.94

$5.63 COP 20.1K

36.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 SAR 48.97

$8.89 COP 31.8K

46.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 SAR 8.52

$2.34 COP 8,349

-2.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.95

$1.06 COP 3,777

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 SAR 6.30

$1.50 COP 5,374

12.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.85

$1.38 COP 4,924

13.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 SAR 4.66

$1.15 COP 4,111

7.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 SAR 4.75

$1.16 COP 4,155

9.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 SAR 4.63

$0.89 COP 3,182

38.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 SAR 2.24

$0.84 COP 2,997

-28.57%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.87 SAR 10.78

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.65

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 SAR 7.74

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.19 SAR 26.98

$2.28 COP 8,145

215.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.12

$0.86 COP 3,056

27.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.67 SAR 153

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-1.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 SAR 9.82

$1.47 COP 5,264

78.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 SAR 7.10

$1.96 COP 7,009

-3.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.57 SAR 50.9

$7.74 COP 27.6K

75.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 SAR 2.29

$0.95 COP 3,409

-35.79%

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

$26.9K SAR 101.1K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

48.61%

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

$22.7K SAR 85.3K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-14.20%

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

$103 SAR 388

$82.3 COP 293.7K

25.74%

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

$33.67 SAR 126

$9.50 COP 33.9K

254.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.7 SAR 269

$24.23 COP 86.5K

196.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.9 SAR 326

$25.89 COP 92.4K

235.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.90 SAR 135

$19.00 COP 67.9K

88.95%

Cinema Ticket

$15.87 SAR 59.5

$3.93 COP 14.0K

303.82%

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

$354 SAR 1,330

$309 COP 1.1M

14.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,940 SAR 26.0K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

16.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 SAR 226

$58.7 COP 209.5K

2.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.2 SAR 222

$32.35 COP 115.5K

83.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 SAR 295

$103 COP 366.4K

-23.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 SAR 313

$108 COP 387.2K

-23.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 SAR 1,667

$476 COP 1.7M

-6.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 SAR 1,405

$379 COP 1.4M

-1.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$863 SAR 3,238

$838 COP 3.0M

2.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 SAR 2,309

$724 COP 2.6M

-14.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,395 SAR 8,988

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-14.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,347 SAR 5,057

$1,211 COP 4.3M

11.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

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-Ula: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $444 in Al-Ula versus $476 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Al-Ula versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $188 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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-Ula vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,197 in Al-Ula, $1,013 in Medellin – roughly 18% apart. Al-Ula costs more across the board, with Sport & Entertainment showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,796 per month in Al-Ula and $1,519 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $354 per month in Al-Ula and $309 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Al-Ula, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,013, than in Al-Ula at $1,197. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Al-Ula it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,013 in Medellin to $1,197 in Al-Ula. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Al-Ula makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.