Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arar and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Arar: $1,185 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Arar
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Arar Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Arar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,185

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arar and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Arar and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,185 per month in Arar vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Arar $1,185
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $1,820 per month in Arar vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Arar $1,820
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $2,454 per month in Arar vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Arar $2,454
Medellin $3,249

Arar is about 30% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Arar sits 12% below the global median, while Medellin is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.45 SAR 27.97

$8.34 COP 27.0K

-10.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.32 SAR 129

$46.53 COP 150.9K

-26.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.87 SAR 25.77

$9.47 COP 30.7K

-27.46%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SAR 8.92

Cappuccino

$3.04 SAR 11.39

$3.13 COP 10.2K

-2.88%

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

$0.81 SAR 3.04

$1.77 COP 5,728

-54.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 SAR 0.91

$1.42 COP 4,620

-83.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 SAR 5.76

$1.53 COP 4,971

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 SAR 5.22

$2.29 COP 7,431

-39.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 SAR 8.47

$1.94 COP 6,308

16.49%

Eggs

$2.28 SAR 8.54

$3.07 COP 9,945

-25.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.95 SAR 29.85

$9.99 COP 32.4K

-20.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.74 SAR 32.81

$10.45 COP 33.9K

-16.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.35 SAR 50.1

$13.96 COP 45.3K

-4.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 SAR 9.12

$4.05 COP 13.1K

-40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 SAR 6.67

$1.53 COP 4,957

16.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 SAR 6.50

$2.10 COP 6,825

-17.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 SAR 5.22

$2.29 COP 7,439

-39.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 SAR 4.98

$2.11 COP 6,841

-36.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 SAR 5.38

$1.71 COP 5,543

-16.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 SAR 5.06

$1.17 COP 3,795

15.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 SAR 2.02

$1.58 COP 5,125

-65.82%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.18 SAR 11.93

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 SAR 6.97

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 SAR 7.21

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.47 SAR 28.04

$3.91 COP 12.7K

91.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.6K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,714

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,796

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 SAR 4.21

$1.18 COP 3,826

-5.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.17 SAR 155

$76.3 COP 247.4K

-46.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 SAR 10.31

$1.81 COP 5,860

51.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 SAR 5.57

$2.13 COP 6,906

-30.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.41 SAR 50.3

$8.13 COP 26.4K

64.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 SAR 2.56

$1.28 COP 4,136

-46.88%

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

$29.6K SAR 111.2K

$34.4K COP 111.7M

-13.97%

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

$23.2K SAR 87.2K

$34.1K COP 110.7M

-31.97%

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

$111 SAR 416

$178 COP 576.4K

-37.62%

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

$28.89 SAR 108

$13.89 COP 45.0K

107.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.5 SAR 227

$30.74 COP 99.7K

96.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 SAR 277

$41.94 COP 136.0K

76.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$13.55 SAR 50.9

$7.47 COP 24.2K

81.39%

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

$394 SAR 1,481

$790 COP 2.6M

-50.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K SAR 39.4K

$12.3K COP 39.9M

-14.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.59 SAR 149

$86.3 COP 280.0K

-54.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SAR 188

$59.3 COP 192.2K

-15.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 SAR 413

$138 COP 448.7K

-20.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 SAR 282

$98.8 COP 320.5K

-23.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$627 SAR 2,355

$1,341 COP 4.3M

-53.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 SAR 1,400

$667 COP 2.2M

-44.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$812 SAR 3,048

$1,976 COP 6.4M

-58.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 SAR 2,632

$1,033 COP 3.3M

-32.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,731 SAR 6,496

$4,098 COP 13.3M

-57.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,161 SAR 4,356

$1,940 COP 6.3M

-40.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

10.94

-49.36%

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

Last update for Arar: October 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Arar

$373 31.5%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 78.8% $294

Groceries & Markets

Arar

$210 17.8%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 46.1% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arar

$200 16.9%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 11% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Arar

$124 10.4%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 39.3% $49

Eating Out

Arar

$121 10.2%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 42.8% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Arar

$101 8.5%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 43.6% $44

Getting Around

Arar

$56 4.7%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 67.4% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $627 in Arar versus $1,341 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 $34 in Arar versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $210 vs $307 – making Arar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Arar

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

13:01 1:01 PM

05:01 5:01 AM

8 h behind Arar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

167,057

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.238 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.238 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,636 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Arar Medellin 12,120 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Arar
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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: $1,185 in Arar, $1,692 in Medellin – Arar comes out roughly 30% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,777 per month in Arar and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Arar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $627 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

Public transport costs about 46% less in Arar. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $394 per month in Arar and $790 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,185 in Arar and $1,692 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Arar – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Arar is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 30% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.