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: $1,011 in Ha'il versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,581 in Ha'il versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,152 in Ha'il versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Ha'il costs roughly 40% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ha'il is 26% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.21 SAR 19.57

$8.02 COP 25.3K

-35.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.78 SAR 142

$47.87 COP 151.0K

-21.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.12 SAR 22.98

$9.89 COP 31.2K

-38.12%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 SAR 4.44

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 SAR 7.52

Cappuccino

$2.63 SAR 9.87

$3.13 COP 9,873

-15.97%

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

$0.61 SAR 2.29

$1.91 COP 6,019

-68.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 SAR 0.89

$1.51 COP 4,763

-84.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$1.44 COP 4,558

19.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 SAR 3.16

$2.49 COP 7,843

-66.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 SAR 7.10

$1.77 COP 5,595

6.78%

Eggs

$1.94 SAR 7.27

$2.96 COP 9,336

-34.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.82 SAR 25.63

$10.07 COP 31.8K

-32.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 SAR 32.01

$10.12 COP 31.9K

-15.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.27 SAR 31.06

$14.30 COP 45.1K

-42.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.54 SAR 5.79

$4.14 COP 13.0K

-62.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.90

$1.61 COP 5,073

-2.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 SAR 4.68

$2.25 COP 7,083

-44.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 SAR 7.68

$2.25 COP 7,104

-9.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 SAR 4.94

$2.04 COP 6,444

-35.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

$1.54 COP 4,842

4.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 SAR 4.29

$1.17 COP 3,691

-2.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 SAR 1.82

$1.31 COP 4,121

-63.36%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.74 SAR 10.29

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 SAR 6.34

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 SAR 8.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.47 SAR 24.29

$3.90 COP 12.3K

65.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.14

$1.22 COP 3,834

-9.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.42 SAR 137

$80.5 COP 253.9K

-54.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 SAR 10.77

$1.31 COP 4,129

119.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 SAR 6.82

$2.19 COP 6,899

-16.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.42 SAR 50.4

$8.71 COP 27.5K

54.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 SAR 2.27

$1.37 COP 4,306

-55.47%

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

$45.0K SAR 169.0K

$27.8K COP 87.8M

61.70%

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

$21.6K SAR 81.3K

$35.8K COP 112.8M

-39.48%

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

$54.2 SAR 204

$177 COP 559.3K

-69.41%

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

$21.14 SAR 79.4

$13.88 COP 43.8K

52.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.43 SAR 174

$29.72 COP 93.8K

56.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.4 SAR 249

$44.88 COP 141.6K

47.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.77 SAR 138

$17.12 COP 54.0K

114.78%

Cinema Ticket

$14.92 SAR 56.0

$6.65 COP 21.0K

124.36%

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

$349 SAR 1,311

$813 COP 2.6M

-57.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,537 SAR 24.5K

$9,187 COP 29.0M

-28.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 SAR 191

$89.5 COP 282.3K

-43.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 SAR 221

$59.0 COP 186.0K

-0.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.2 SAR 365

$138 COP 435.9K

-29.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 SAR 337

$102 COP 322.1K

-12.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$243 SAR 912

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-77.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 SAR 1,292

$663 COP 2.1M

-48.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$366 SAR 1,374

$1,888 COP 6.0M

-80.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$540 SAR 2,030

$1,027 COP 3.2M

-47.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 SAR 8,874

$4,183 COP 13.2M

-43.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,352 SAR 5,076

$1,675 COP 5.3M

-19.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,084 SAR 4,070

$678 COP 2.1M

59.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.47

10.94

-50.00%

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

Last update for Ha'il: September 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $243 in Ha'il and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ha'il pays 60% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Ha'il vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $305 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

Ha'il wins on cost – living expenses run 66% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ha'il the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 60% higher in Ha'il, 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: $243 in Ha'il versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $349 in Ha'il versus $813 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,011 in Ha'il versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ha'il but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ha'il the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ha'il delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,011 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ha'il 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 Ha'il gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.