Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhahran and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhahran: $1,317 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Dhahran
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Dhahran Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Dhahran

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,317

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhahran 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 Dhahran and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,317 per month in Dhahran vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Dhahran $1,317
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,671 per month in Dhahran vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Dhahran $1,671
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $2,026 per month in Dhahran vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Dhahran $2,026
Medellin $3,190

Dhahran is about 18% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Dhahran sits 2% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.30 SAR 19.90

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-33.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.17 SAR 147

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-15.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.35 SAR 23.81

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-33.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 SAR 6.80

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.96

Cappuccino

$4.01 SAR 15.03

$3.11 COP 9,866

28.94%

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

$0.74 SAR 2.76

$1.83 COP 5,800

-59.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 SAR 0.70

$1.38 COP 4,360

-86.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

$1.45 COP 4,600

13.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 SAR 3.62

$2.36 COP 7,496

-58.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 SAR 7.41

$1.68 COP 5,328

17.26%

Eggs

$3.87 SAR 14.54

$2.86 COP 9,077

35.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.59 SAR 32.23

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-15.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.92 SAR 40.97

$9.53 COP 30.2K

14.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.89 SAR 52.1

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-1.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 SAR 8.07

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-47.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 SAR 5.21

$1.50 COP 4,742

-7.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 SAR 6.69

$2.17 COP 6,891

-17.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 SAR 6.74

$2.31 COP 7,310

-22.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 SAR 5.61

$1.93 COP 6,113

-22.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 SAR 3.61

$1.64 COP 5,196

-41.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 SAR 7.39

$1.13 COP 3,571

74.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 SAR 3.19

$1.25 COP 3,954

-32.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.81 SAR 18.03

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 SAR 6.15

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 SAR 9.22

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.57 SAR 20.92

$3.99 COP 12.6K

39.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 SAR 3.11

$1.21 COP 3,827

-31.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 SAR 5.12

$1.32 COP 4,179

3.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 SAR 12.21

$2.14 COP 6,774

51.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.52 SAR 35.73

$8.47 COP 26.8K

12.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.44

$1.30 COP 4,114

-50.00%

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

$53.2K SAR 199.7K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

90.15%

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

$20.7K SAR 77.6K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-41.58%

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

$59.0 SAR 221

$172 COP 545.6K

-65.71%

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

$42.19 SAR 158

$13.37 COP 42.4K

215.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.9 SAR 244

$28.73 COP 91.1K

125.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$195 SAR 731

$45.24 COP 143.5K

330.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$93.5 SAR 351

$17.04 COP 54.0K

448.83%

Cinema Ticket

$10.56 SAR 39.62

$6.28 COP 19.9K

68.15%

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

$65.3 SAR 245

$770 COP 2.4M

-91.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K SAR 49.8K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

47.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 SAR 190

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-41.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.79 SAR 157

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-26.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 SAR 289

$137 COP 432.9K

-43.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 SAR 339

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-7.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 SAR 1,355

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-65.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 SAR 1,700

$616 COP 2.0M

-26.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,785 SAR 10.5K

$652 COP 2.1M

326.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

10.94

-58.87%

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

Last update for Dhahran: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dhahran

$453 34.4%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 35.9% $163

Groceries & Markets

Dhahran

$231 17.6%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 27.4% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Dhahran

$216 16.4%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 73.2% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhahran

$166 12.6%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 28.9% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Dhahran

$117 8.9%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 45.6% $53

Eating Out

Dhahran

$113 8.6%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 48.7% $55

Getting Around

Dhahran

$21 * 1.6%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 346% $72

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $361 in Dhahran versus $1,055 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 327% higher in Dhahran, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Dhahran versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $231 vs $295 – making Dhahran the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Dhahran

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

03:15 3:15 AM

19:15 7:15 PM

8 h behind Dhahran

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

120,521

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhahran Medellin 13,140 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhahran
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

Dhahran vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 23% more than Dhahran, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,976 per month in Dhahran and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dhahran, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,317 in Dhahran and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 23%.

Kindergarten costs $65.3 per month in Dhahran and $770 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Dhahran, where all-in costs run around $1,317, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Dhahran it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dhahran costs $1,317 versus $1,614 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Dhahran. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.