Cost of Living Comparison Between Arar and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Arar and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Arar vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,884 per month in Arar vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,535 per month in Arar vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

Arar costs about 21% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Arar and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Arar 8% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.68 SAR 25.08

$5.95 COP 20.8K

12.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.47 SAR 167

$33.33 COP 116.3K

33.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 SAR 29.62

$7.23 COP 25.2K

9.13%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 SAR 6.61

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.55

Cappuccino

$3.75 SAR 14.08

$1.63 COP 5,687

130.06%

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

$0.79 SAR 2.97

$1.09 COP 3,821

-27.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 SAR 1.08

$0.73 COP 2,548

-60.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 SAR 6.13

$1.05 COP 3,662

55.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 SAR 3.76

$1.29 COP 4,515

-22.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 SAR 8.91

$1.32 COP 4,617

80.30%

Eggs

$2.46 SAR 9.22

$2.27 COP 7,927

8.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.92 SAR 25.95

$4.35 COP 15.2K

59.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.66 SAR 28.75

$5.88 COP 20.5K

30.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.15 SAR 49.35

$8.61 COP 30.0K

52.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 SAR 8.18

$2.25 COP 7,844

-3.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 SAR 6.00

$1.07 COP 3,733

49.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 SAR 6.27

$1.52 COP 5,322

9.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.91

$1.42 COP 4,964

10.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 SAR 4.67

$1.17 COP 4,084

5.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 SAR 4.96

$1.17 COP 4,077

12.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 SAR 4.63

$0.89 COP 3,096

38.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.22

$0.90 COP 3,146

-34.44%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.80 SAR 10.51

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.66

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 SAR 7.57

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.18 SAR 26.93

$2.25 COP 7,837

219.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.94

$0.84 COP 2,916

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.76 SAR 153

$41.95 COP 146.4K

-2.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 SAR 10.06

$1.41 COP 4,912

90.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 SAR 7.10

$1.90 COP 6,634

-0.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.10 SAR 49.15

$7.75 COP 27.0K

69.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.25

$1.01 COP 3,509

-40.59%

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

$26.6K SAR 99.9K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

51.51%

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

$22.5K SAR 84.4K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-15.06%

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

$105 SAR 395

$83.7 COP 292.1K

25.73%

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

$33.07 SAR 124

$9.45 COP 33.0K

249.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.6 SAR 291

$24.11 COP 84.1K

222.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.2 SAR 335

$25.31 COP 88.3K

252.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.42 SAR 133

$19.14 COP 66.8K

85.06%

Cinema Ticket

$15.52 SAR 58.2

$4.10 COP 14.3K

278.54%

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

$355 SAR 1,330

$312 COP 1.1M

13.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,036 SAR 26.4K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

17.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 SAR 225

$58.0 COP 202.6K

3.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.2 SAR 222

$32.56 COP 113.6K

81.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 SAR 298

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-20.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.1 SAR 312

$109 COP 378.8K

-23.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 SAR 1,641

$482 COP 1.7M

-9.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$380 SAR 1,428

$379 COP 1.3M

0.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 SAR 3,197

$837 COP 2.9M

1.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 SAR 2,352

$723 COP 2.5M

-13.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,081 SAR 7,808

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-26.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,461 SAR 5,483

$1,223 COP 4.3M

19.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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 Arar: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $437 in Arar versus $482 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 $44.00 in Arar versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $190 – 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

Arar vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,232 in Arar, $1,017 in Medellin – roughly 21% apart. Arar costs more across the board, with Sport & Entertainment showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,848 per month in Arar and $1,525 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.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $355 per month in Arar and $312 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,017, than in Arar at $1,232. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arar 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 $1,017 in Medellin to $1,232 in Arar. 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, Arar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.