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: $1,174 in Ar-rass versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,802 in Ar-rass versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,431 in Ar-rass versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Ar-rass is roughly 14% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ar-rass 12% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.58 SAR 24.71

$6.16 COP 20.1K

6.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.89 SAR 165

$32.60 COP 106.1K

34.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.93 SAR 29.79

$7.34 COP 23.9K

8.04%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 SAR 6.64

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

Cappuccino

$3.69 SAR 13.87

$1.72 COP 5,600

114.53%

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

$0.79 SAR 2.97

$1.05 COP 3,420

-24.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 SAR 1.08

$0.77 COP 2,515

-62.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 SAR 8.77

$1.05 COP 3,423

121.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 SAR 3.97

$1.30 COP 4,236

-18.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 SAR 5.69

$1.40 COP 4,544

7.86%

Eggs

$3.62 SAR 13.58

$2.16 COP 7,047

67.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.82 SAR 25.62

$4.39 COP 14.3K

55.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.40 SAR 27.79

$5.88 COP 19.1K

25.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.14 SAR 49.34

$8.64 COP 28.1K

52.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 SAR 8.19

$2.28 COP 7,426

-4.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.17

$1.11 COP 3,604

47.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.47

$1.53 COP 4,983

12.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.85

$1.35 COP 4,410

15.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 SAR 4.61

$1.13 COP 3,674

8.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 SAR 4.76

$1.13 COP 3,692

12.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 SAR 4.67

$0.85 COP 2,753

45.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.07

$0.91 COP 2,975

-39.56%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.40 SAR 9.03

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.23 SAR 23.40

$2.34 COP 7,630

166.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 SAR 3.98

$0.84 COP 2,728

26.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.89 SAR 150

$40.57 COP 132.1K

-1.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 SAR 9.94

$1.42 COP 4,623

86.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 SAR 6.98

$1.92 COP 6,235

-3.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.19 SAR 49.53

$7.66 COP 24.9K

72.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 SAR 2.18

$0.99 COP 3,223

-41.41%

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

$26.4K SAR 99.3K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

46.69%

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

$22.2K SAR 83.4K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

-16.59%

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

$107 SAR 403

$80.8 COP 263.1K

32.94%

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

$33.12 SAR 124

$9.95 COP 32.4K

232.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.8 SAR 273

$24.18 COP 78.7K

201.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.13 SAR 169

$25.08 COP 81.7K

79.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.22 SAR 132

$19.15 COP 62.3K

83.92%

Cinema Ticket

$15.83 SAR 59.5

$3.98 COP 13.0K

297.74%

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

$355 SAR 1,334

$305 COP 993.5K

16.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,847 SAR 25.7K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

13.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.29 SAR 79.9

$58.1 COP 189.2K

-63.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.0 SAR 225

$32.20 COP 104.8K

86.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 SAR 297

$101 COP 327.9K

-21.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 SAR 312

$108 COP 350.8K

-22.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 SAR 1,641

$477 COP 1.6M

-8.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 SAR 1,450

$376 COP 1.2M

2.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 SAR 1,442

$845 COP 2.7M

-54.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 SAR 2,309

$730 COP 2.4M

-15.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,551 SAR 9,580

$3,215 COP 10.5M

-20.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,264 SAR 4,747

$1,372 COP 4.5M

-7.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,700 SAR 6,383

$617 COP 2.0M

175.59%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Ar-rass and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 176% 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 $193 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 14% in total monthly costs ($1,174 vs $1,031 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 176% 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: $437 in Ar-rass versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $355 in Ar-rass versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Ar-rass. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,174 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 14% less than in Ar-rass. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.