Cost of Living Comparison Between Ar-rass and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Ar-rass and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,096 in Ar-rass versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,661 in Ar-rass versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,226 in Ar-rass versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Ar-rass costs roughly 36% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ar-rass is 20% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.54 SAR 24.56

$8.03 COP 25.3K

-18.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.31 SAR 140

$48.26 COP 152.0K

-22.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.09 SAR 30.39

$9.77 COP 30.8K

-17.20%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 SAR 6.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 SAR 7.67

Cappuccino

$3.31 SAR 12.43

$2.91 COP 9,167

13.75%

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

$0.83 SAR 3.11

$1.94 COP 6,122

-57.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 SAR 0.90

$1.52 COP 4,792

-84.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,740

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 SAR 7.09

$1.36 COP 4,296

38.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.39 SAR 1.46

$2.39 COP 7,519

-83.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 SAR 7.05

$1.70 COP 5,356

10.59%

Eggs

$3.54 SAR 13.30

$2.87 COP 9,038

23.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 SAR 27.40

$9.94 COP 31.3K

-26.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 SAR 30.36

$10.78 COP 34.0K

-24.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 SAR 48.76

$14.73 COP 46.4K

-11.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 SAR 7.90

$4.09 COP 12.9K

-48.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$1.57 COP 4,950

9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.82

$2.13 COP 6,695

-27.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

$2.21 COP 6,972

-26.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 SAR 4.14

$2.05 COP 6,447

-46.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 SAR 4.74

$1.50 COP 4,737

-16.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 SAR 4.52

$1.19 COP 3,747

0.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 SAR 2.05

$1.16 COP 3,647

-53.45%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.88 SAR 10.81

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 SAR 7.06

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SAR 7.97

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.88 SAR 29.60

$3.90 COP 12.3K

102.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,987

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,905

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.15

$1.17 COP 3,679

-5.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.78 SAR 146

$77.7 COP 244.8K

-50.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 SAR 10.92

$1.28 COP 4,045

127.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 SAR 6.96

$2.09 COP 6,589

-11.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.96 SAR 52.4

$8.62 COP 27.1K

61.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.22

$1.30 COP 4,088

-54.62%

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

$42.1K SAR 158.2K

$27.7K COP 87.1M

52.37%

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

$21.1K SAR 79.3K

$35.5K COP 111.8M

-40.55%

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

$99.9 SAR 375

$176 COP 554.5K

-43.28%

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

$23.70 SAR 89.0

$13.37 COP 42.1K

77.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.2 SAR 226

$29.89 COP 94.1K

101.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.92 SAR 165

$44.76 COP 141.0K

-1.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.59 SAR 145

$17.06 COP 53.7K

126.20%

Cinema Ticket

$13.48 SAR 50.6

$6.20 COP 19.5K

117.42%

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

$346 SAR 1,298

$793 COP 2.5M

-56.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,243 SAR 23.4K

$9,019 COP 28.4M

-30.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 SAR 189

$85.6 COP 269.6K

-41.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.9 SAR 229

$58.5 COP 184.1K

4.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 SAR 358

$136 COP 429.3K

-30.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 SAR 379

$103 COP 324.7K

-2.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$585 SAR 2,196

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-44.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 SAR 1,337

$680 COP 2.1M

-47.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 SAR 1,415

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-81.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 SAR 2,133

$1,169 COP 3.7M

-51.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,639 SAR 9,909

$4,111 COP 12.9M

-35.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,273 SAR 4,779

$1,701 COP 5.4M

-25.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,741 SAR 6,536

$665 COP 2.1M

161.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.47

10.94

-50.00%

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

Last update for Ar-rass: August 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $585 in Ar-rass and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 162% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Ar-rass vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $303 per month, with Ar-rass 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

Ar-rass vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ar-rass and Medellin differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($1,096 vs $1,716 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 162% higher in Ar-rass, 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: $585 in Ar-rass versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $346 in Ar-rass versus $793 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,096 in Ar-rass versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ar-rass but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ar-rass 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 Ar-rass gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.