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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,198 per month in Arar vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,843 per month in Arar vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,488 per month in Arar vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Arar costs about 16% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Arar and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Arar 11% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.71 SAR 25.15

$5.92 COP 21.5K

13.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.18 SAR 166

$32.75 COP 119.1K

34.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.94 SAR 29.76

$7.20 COP 26.2K

10.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 SAR 6.33

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.63

Cappuccino

$3.74 SAR 14.02

$1.70 COP 6,186

120.00%

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

$0.79 SAR 2.96

$1.10 COP 3,996

-28.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 SAR 1.17

$0.72 COP 2,625

-56.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,067

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 SAR 6.12

$1.06 COP 3,837

53.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 SAR 3.52

$1.25 COP 4,531

-24.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 SAR 8.67

$1.39 COP 5,060

66.19%

Eggs

$2.40 SAR 9.01

$2.26 COP 8,229

6.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.85 SAR 25.68

$4.33 COP 15.8K

58.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.45 SAR 27.92

$5.84 COP 21.2K

27.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 SAR 48.94

$8.83 COP 32.1K

47.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 SAR 8.44

$2.24 COP 8,159

0.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 SAR 6.20

$1.08 COP 3,911

52.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 SAR 6.53

$1.53 COP 5,563

13.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.92

$1.37 COP 4,987

15.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 SAR 4.61

$1.13 COP 4,109

8.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 SAR 4.94

$1.12 COP 4,067

17.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 SAR 4.43

$0.85 COP 3,080

38.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.06

$0.91 COP 3,305

-39.56%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.40 SAR 9.00

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.65

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 SAR 26.48

$2.33 COP 8,477

203.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,342

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,617

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 SAR 4.05

$0.79 COP 2,859

36.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.66 SAR 152

$41.13 COP 149.6K

-1.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 SAR 9.91

$1.44 COP 5,223

83.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 SAR 7.22

$1.91 COP 6,952

0.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.11 SAR 49.17

$8.02 COP 29.2K

63.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.42

$0.94 COP 3,410

-31.91%

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

$26.5K SAR 99.3K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

47.69%

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

$21.9K SAR 82.3K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-18.13%

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

$107 SAR 400

$84.0 COP 305.4K

27.12%

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

$34.21 SAR 128

$9.60 COP 34.9K

256.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.0 SAR 289

$24.16 COP 87.9K

218.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.2 SAR 334

$25.88 COP 94.1K

244.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.08 SAR 135

$19.04 COP 69.3K

89.50%

Cinema Ticket

$15.59 SAR 58.5

$3.92 COP 14.2K

297.70%

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

$356 SAR 1,335

$306 COP 1.1M

16.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,029 SAR 26.4K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

18.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 SAR 223

$57.9 COP 210.6K

2.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.1 SAR 225

$31.82 COP 115.7K

88.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 SAR 298

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-20.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.2 SAR 308

$107 COP 389.7K

-23.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$446 SAR 1,671

$487 COP 1.8M

-8.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 SAR 1,401

$368 COP 1.3M

1.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$867 SAR 3,250

$826 COP 3.0M

4.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 SAR 2,357

$716 COP 2.6M

-12.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,306 SAR 8,648

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-21.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,419 SAR 5,320

$1,407 COP 5.1M

0.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $446 in Arar versus $487 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: $195 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: $1,198 in Arar, $1,034 in Medellin – roughly 16% apart. Arar costs more across the board, with Sport & Entertainment showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,797 per month in Arar and $1,550 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 1% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $356 per month in Arar and $306 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 $1,034, than in Arar at $1,198. 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 $1,034 in Medellin to $1,198 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.