Cost of Living Comparison Between Ha'il and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Ha'il and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,024 in Ha'il versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,456 in Ha'il versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,889 in Ha'il versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Ha'il is roughly 1% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ha'il 24% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.74 SAR 25.31

$5.95 COP 20.8K

13.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.47 SAR 95.6

$33.33 COP 116.3K

-23.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 SAR 27.11

$7.23 COP 25.2K

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 SAR 3.96

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SAR 7.84

Cappuccino

$3.29 SAR 12.36

$1.63 COP 5,687

101.84%

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

$1.03 SAR 3.87

$1.09 COP 3,821

-5.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 SAR 1.20

$0.73 COP 2,548

-56.16%

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)

$1.69 SAR 6.34

$1.05 COP 3,662

60.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 SAR 3.19

$1.29 COP 4,515

-34.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 SAR 6.97

$1.32 COP 4,617

40.91%

Eggs

$1.96 SAR 7.36

$2.27 COP 7,927

-13.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.81 SAR 25.54

$4.35 COP 15.2K

56.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 SAR 31.84

$5.88 COP 20.5K

44.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.41 SAR 31.58

$8.61 COP 30.0K

-2.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.54 SAR 5.79

$2.25 COP 7,844

-31.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

$1.07 COP 3,733

46.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 SAR 4.90

$1.52 COP 5,322

-13.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 SAR 7.32

$1.42 COP 4,964

37.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.86

$1.17 COP 4,084

10.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.96

$1.17 COP 4,077

35.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 SAR 3.98

$0.89 COP 3,096

19.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 SAR 1.83

$0.90 COP 3,146

-45.56%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.74 SAR 10.27

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.69

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.80

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.05 SAR 26.45

$2.25 COP 7,837

213.33%

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)

$1.09 SAR 4.09

$0.84 COP 2,916

29.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.68 SAR 153

$41.95 COP 146.4K

-3.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 SAR 9.93

$1.41 COP 4,912

87.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 SAR 7.13

$1.90 COP 6,634

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.51 SAR 50.7

$7.75 COP 27.0K

74.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 SAR 2.18

$1.01 COP 3,509

-42.57%

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

$27.2K SAR 102.0K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

54.57%

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

$22.1K SAR 82.8K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-16.73%

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

$53.4 SAR 200

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-36.17%

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

$21.53 SAR 80.8

$9.45 COP 33.0K

127.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.44 SAR 174

$24.11 COP 84.1K

92.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.9 SAR 251

$25.31 COP 88.3K

164.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.13 SAR 136

$19.14 COP 66.8K

88.77%

Cinema Ticket

$14.85 SAR 55.7

$4.10 COP 14.3K

262.20%

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

$356 SAR 1,336

$312 COP 1.1M

14.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,030 SAR 26.4K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

17.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 SAR 225

$58.0 COP 202.6K

3.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.8 SAR 228

$32.56 COP 113.6K

86.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 SAR 298

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-20.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.2 SAR 305

$109 COP 378.8K

-25.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 SAR 1,840

$482 COP 1.7M

1.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 SAR 1,223

$379 COP 1.3M

-14.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 SAR 1,652

$837 COP 2.9M

-47.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 SAR 1,360

$723 COP 2.5M

-49.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,399 SAR 9,004

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-15.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,311 SAR 4,921

$1,223 COP 4.3M

7.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,066 SAR 3,999

$541 COP 1.9M

97.02%

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 Ha'il: June 6, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Ha'il and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ha'il pays 97% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $25.00 in Ha'il vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $178 vs $190 per month, with Ha'il cheaper across the board.

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

Ha'il vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Ha'il. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Ha'il pays 97% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $490 in Ha'il versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $356 in Ha'il versus $312 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ha'il pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,024 in Ha'il, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ha'il. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,017 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ha'il and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Ha'il. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.