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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,213 per month in Arar vs $1,003 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,841 per month in Arar vs $1,573 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,469 per month in Arar vs $2,143 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 9% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.76 SAR 25.39

$5.91 COP 18.6K

14.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.23 SAR 166

$32.96 COP 103.8K

34.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 SAR 29.60

$7.43 COP 23.4K

6.06%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 SAR 6.54

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.85

Cappuccino

$3.75 SAR 14.09

$1.65 COP 5,207

127.27%

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

$0.79 SAR 2.98

$1.10 COP 3,468

-28.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 SAR 1.17

$0.78 COP 2,458

-60.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 SAR 6.15

$1.10 COP 3,474

49.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 SAR 3.71

$1.26 COP 3,962

-21.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 SAR 8.57

$1.38 COP 4,349

65.22%

Eggs

$2.45 SAR 9.22

$2.18 COP 6,858

12.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.02 SAR 26.37

$4.49 COP 14.1K

56.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.71 SAR 28.97

$5.79 COP 18.2K

33.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.88 SAR 48.37

$8.97 COP 28.2K

43.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 SAR 8.38

$2.32 COP 7,308

-3.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 SAR 6.11

$1.06 COP 3,352

53.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.46

$1.52 COP 4,774

13.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.07

$1.36 COP 4,270

19.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 SAR 4.62

$1.13 COP 3,552

8.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.80

$1.17 COP 3,689

9.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 SAR 4.48

$0.90 COP 2,838

32.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 SAR 2.09

$0.90 COP 2,823

-37.78%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.95 SAR 11.09

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.42

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.93

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 SAR 25.71

$2.23 COP 7,034

207.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.13

$0.85 COP 2,687

29.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.08 SAR 151

$41.62 COP 131.0K

-3.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 SAR 9.86

$1.42 COP 4,459

85.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 SAR 6.98

$1.95 COP 6,141

-4.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.47 SAR 50.6

$7.89 COP 24.8K

70.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.21

$0.99 COP 3,118

-40.40%

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

$26.4K SAR 99.1K

$17.6K COP 55.4M

50.00%

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

$22.3K SAR 83.8K

$26.8K COP 84.4M

-16.74%

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

$106 SAR 398

$83.0 COP 261.4K

27.61%

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

$33.94 SAR 127

$9.70 COP 30.5K

249.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.2 SAR 282

$23.52 COP 74.1K

219.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.9 SAR 326

$25.26 COP 79.5K

243.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.11 SAR 136

$19.10 COP 60.1K

89.06%

Cinema Ticket

$15.78 SAR 59.3

$3.95 COP 12.4K

299.49%

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

$352 SAR 1,322

$316 COP 994.2K

11.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,960 SAR 26.1K

$5,975 COP 18.8M

16.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 SAR 220

$60.0 COP 188.9K

-2.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 SAR 227

$31.82 COP 100.2K

89.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 SAR 298

$102 COP 320.1K

-21.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.1 SAR 308

$107 COP 338.3K

-23.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 SAR 1,654

$475 COP 1.5M

-7.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 SAR 1,439

$374 COP 1.2M

2.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 SAR 3,224

$849 COP 2.7M

1.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 SAR 2,298

$719 COP 2.3M

-14.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,099 SAR 7,883

$3,265 COP 10.3M

-35.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,269 SAR 4,765

$1,441 COP 4.5M

-11.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $440 in Arar versus $475 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: $197 vs $193 – 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: $1,213 in Arar, $1,003 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 $1,820 per month in Arar and $1,504 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 4% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $352 per month in Arar and $316 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 $1,003, than in Arar at $1,213. 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 $1,003 in Medellin to $1,213 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.