Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-Ula and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-Ula: $1,184 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Al-Ula
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Al-Ula Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Al-Ula

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,184

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al-Ula and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Al-Ula and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,184 per month in Al-Ula vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Al-Ula $1,184
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,757 per month in Al-Ula vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Al-Ula $1,757
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $2,330 per month in Al-Ula vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Al-Ula $2,330
Medellin $3,190

Al-Ula is about 27% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Al-Ula sits 12% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.11 SAR 22.91

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-22.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.80 SAR 138

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-20.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 SAR 29.87

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-16.21%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 SAR 7.08

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 SAR 8.62

Cappuccino

$3.17 SAR 11.89

$3.11 COP 9,866

1.93%

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

$0.86 SAR 3.24

$1.83 COP 5,800

-53.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.98

$1.38 COP 4,360

-81.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SAR 6.52

$1.45 COP 4,600

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 SAR 4.75

$2.36 COP 7,496

-46.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 SAR 8.62

$1.68 COP 5,328

36.90%

Eggs

$2.32 SAR 8.72

$2.86 COP 9,077

-18.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.39 SAR 27.75

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-27.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.07 SAR 30.27

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-15.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.67 SAR 47.54

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-9.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 SAR 8.45

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-44.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 SAR 6.60

$1.50 COP 4,742

17.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

$2.17 COP 6,891

-27.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

$2.31 COP 7,310

-32.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 SAR 4.61

$1.93 COP 6,113

-36.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.79

$1.64 COP 5,196

-21.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 SAR 4.58

$1.13 COP 3,571

7.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 SAR 2.02

$1.25 COP 3,954

-56.80%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.71

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.74 SAR 25.28

$3.99 COP 12.6K

68.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.08

$1.21 COP 3,827

-9.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.77 SAR 138

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-51.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 SAR 9.80

$1.32 COP 4,179

97.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 SAR 6.95

$2.14 COP 6,774

-13.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.14 SAR 49.29

$8.47 COP 26.8K

55.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.44

$1.30 COP 4,114

-50.00%

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

$44.0K SAR 165.2K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

57.30%

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

$21.3K SAR 79.9K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-39.85%

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

$106 SAR 397

$172 COP 545.6K

-38.45%

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

$33.21 SAR 125

$13.37 COP 42.4K

148.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.8 SAR 247

$28.73 COP 91.1K

129.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.4 SAR 309

$45.24 COP 143.5K

82.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$13.33 SAR 50.0

$6.28 COP 19.9K

112.26%

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

$425 SAR 1,596

$770 COP 2.4M

-44.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,102 SAR 30.4K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-10.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.74 SAR 160

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-50.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 SAR 208

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-3.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 SAR 361

$137 COP 432.9K

-29.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 SAR 329

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-10.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 SAR 2,162

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-45.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 SAR 1,397

$616 COP 2.0M

-39.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 SAR 3,121

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-56.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$572 SAR 2,147

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-44.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,323 SAR 8,718

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-42.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,382 SAR 5,187

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-17.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

10.94

-49.36%

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

Last update for Al-Ula: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Al-Ula

$372 31.5%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 65.4% $243

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al-Ula

$205 17.3%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 4.5% $9.2

Groceries & Markets

Al-Ula

$203 17.1%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 45.4% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Al-Ula

$127 10.7%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 34.1% $43

Eating Out

Al-Ula

$115 9.7%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 46.1% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Al-Ula

$109 9.2%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 47% $51

Getting Around

Al-Ula

$53 4.5%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 76.1% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $576 in Al-Ula versus $1,055 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 $37.00 in Al-Ula versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $203 vs $295 – making Al-Ula the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Al-Ula

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

12:29 12:29 PM

04:29 4:29 AM

8 h behind Al-Ula

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,413

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Al-Ula Medellin 11,990 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Al-Ula
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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: $1,184 in Al-Ula, $1,614 in Medellin – roughly 36% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,776 per month in Al-Ula and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $425 per month in Al-Ula and $770 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Al-Ula, where all-in costs run around $1,184, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Al-Ula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin 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 $1,184 in Al-Ula to $1,614 in Medellin. 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 Al-Ula. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.