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: $1,169 in Ar-rass versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,770 in Ar-rass versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,372 in Ar-rass versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Ar-rass is roughly 15% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ar-rass 13% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.55 SAR 24.58

$5.99 COP 21.4K

9.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.10 SAR 166

$32.86 COP 117.4K

34.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 SAR 29.52

$7.09 COP 25.3K

11.00%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.87

Cappuccino

$3.62 SAR 13.57

$1.71 COP 6,115

111.70%

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

$0.76 SAR 2.84

$1.10 COP 3,924

-30.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 SAR 1.08

$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)

$2.39 SAR 8.97

$1.09 COP 3,906

119.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 SAR 3.79

$1.26 COP 4,508

-19.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.82

$1.38 COP 4,922

12.32%

Eggs

$3.61 SAR 13.56

$2.19 COP 7,827

64.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.77 SAR 25.40

$4.40 COP 15.7K

53.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.45 SAR 27.96

$5.63 COP 20.1K

32.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.04 SAR 48.93

$8.89 COP 31.8K

46.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 SAR 8.38

$2.34 COP 8,349

-4.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.16

$1.06 COP 3,777

54.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 SAR 6.56

$1.50 COP 5,374

16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.87

$1.38 COP 4,924

13.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.81

$1.15 COP 4,111

11.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 SAR 4.92

$1.16 COP 4,155

12.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 SAR 4.46

$0.89 COP 3,182

33.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.20

$0.84 COP 2,997

-29.76%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.80 SAR 10.51

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SAR 6.53

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.29 SAR 23.61

$2.28 COP 8,145

175.88%

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)

$1.09 SAR 4.08

$0.86 COP 3,056

26.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.20 SAR 147

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-5.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 SAR 9.78

$1.47 COP 5,264

77.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 SAR 7.22

$1.96 COP 7,009

-2.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.48 SAR 50.6

$7.74 COP 27.6K

74.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.21

$0.95 COP 3,409

-37.89%

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

$27.0K SAR 101.4K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

49.05%

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

$22.6K SAR 84.8K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-14.69%

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

$104 SAR 390

$82.3 COP 293.7K

26.47%

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

$33.90 SAR 127

$9.50 COP 33.9K

256.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.7 SAR 273

$24.23 COP 86.5K

200.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.87 SAR 165

$25.89 COP 92.4K

69.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.18 SAR 132

$19.00 COP 67.9K

85.16%

Cinema Ticket

$15.52 SAR 58.3

$3.93 COP 14.0K

294.91%

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

$349 SAR 1,310

$309 COP 1.1M

12.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,909 SAR 25.9K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

15.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.12 SAR 79.3

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-64.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 SAR 230

$32.35 COP 115.5K

89.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 SAR 298

$103 COP 366.4K

-22.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.4 SAR 309

$108 COP 387.2K

-24.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 SAR 1,669

$476 COP 1.7M

-6.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 SAR 1,434

$379 COP 1.4M

0.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$388 SAR 1,455

$838 COP 3.0M

-53.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$614 SAR 2,303

$724 COP 2.6M

-15.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,559 SAR 9,604

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-8.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,508 SAR 5,658

$1,211 COP 4.3M

24.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,728 SAR 6,485

$512 COP 1.8M

237.65%

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 Ar-rass: June 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $445 in Ar-rass and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 238% 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: $44.00 in Ar-rass vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $188 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

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

Ar-rass and Medellin differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,169 vs $1,013 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ar-rass pays 238% 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: $445 in Ar-rass versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $349 in Ar-rass versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Ar-rass. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,169 in Ar-rass, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ar-rass. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Ar-rass. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.