Cost of Living Comparison Between Jubail and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Jubail and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,107 in Jubail versus $1,641 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,711 in Jubail versus $2,447 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,316 in Jubail versus $3,253 in Medellin.

Living in Jubail costs roughly 33% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Jubail is 20% below, Medellin is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.81 SAR 25.59

$8.04 COP 24.8K

-15.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.68 SAR 153

$48.29 COP 148.6K

-15.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 SAR 33.67

$9.42 COP 29.0K

-4.88%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 SAR 6.88

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 SAR 8.70

Cappuccino

$3.96 SAR 14.85

$2.94 COP 9,040

34.69%

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

$1.01 SAR 3.79

$1.86 COP 5,735

-45.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.96

$1.46 COP 4,479

-82.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

$1.44 COP 4,428

9.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 SAR 5.37

$2.40 COP 7,389

-40.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.03

$1.70 COP 5,228

-5.29%

Eggs

$2.14 SAR 8.03

$2.89 COP 8,896

-25.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 SAR 32.47

$10.06 COP 30.9K

-14.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 SAR 23.31

$9.97 COP 30.7K

-37.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.77 SAR 40.44

$14.20 COP 43.7K

-24.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 SAR 8.13

$3.98 COP 12.3K

-45.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 SAR 6.70

$1.58 COP 4,878

13.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.92

$2.15 COP 6,624

-26.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 SAR 6.23

$2.30 COP 7,078

-27.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.84

$2.00 COP 6,169

-35.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 SAR 5.17

$1.51 COP 4,646

-8.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 SAR 6.31

$1.20 COP 3,701

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 SAR 1.93

$1.28 COP 3,946

-60.16%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.91 SAR 10.91

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 SAR 8.12

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 SAR 7.73

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 SAR 25.63

$3.84 COP 11.8K

77.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 SAR 4.90

$1.25 COP 3,834

4.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.02 SAR 90.2

$77.9 COP 239.7K

-69.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 SAR 12.84

$1.31 COP 4,016

161.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.73 SAR 10.24

$2.17 COP 6,680

25.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.12 SAR 49.27

$8.29 COP 25.5K

58.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.24

$1.36 COP 4,172

-55.88%

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

$45.4K SAR 170.7K

$27.5K COP 84.5M

65.40%

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

$20.8K SAR 78.3K

$36.5K COP 112.4M

-42.97%

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

$81.1 SAR 305

$169 COP 519.2K

-51.91%

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

$27.49 SAR 103

$13.57 COP 41.8K

102.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.4 SAR 249

$28.32 COP 87.2K

134.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 SAR 384

$45.71 COP 140.7K

123.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.95 SAR 150

$17.22 COP 53.0K

132.00%

Cinema Ticket

$13.45 SAR 50.5

$6.65 COP 20.5K

102.26%

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

$177 SAR 666

$803 COP 2.5M

-77.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,825 SAR 29.4K

$9,190 COP 28.3M

-14.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.23 SAR 155

$87.4 COP 268.8K

-52.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.6 SAR 224

$59.4 COP 182.7K

0.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.4 SAR 306

$139 COP 427.5K

-41.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.6 SAR 321

$102 COP 314.0K

-16.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 SAR 1,595

$1,071 COP 3.3M

-60.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$293 SAR 1,100

$653 COP 2.0M

-55.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 SAR 2,424

$1,925 COP 5.9M

-66.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$526 SAR 1,974

$1,048 COP 3.2M

-49.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,706 SAR 10.2K

$4,123 COP 12.7M

-34.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,386 SAR 5,205

$1,697 COP 5.2M

-18.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 SAR 6,016

$655 COP 2.0M

144.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.62

10.94

-48.63%

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

Last update for Jubail: September 5, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $425 in Jubail and $1,071 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jubail pays 145% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $41.00 in Jubail vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $300 per month, with Jubail 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

Jubail vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jubail wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jubail the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 145% higher in Jubail, 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: $425 in Jubail versus $1,071 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,107 per month in Jubail versus $1,641 in Medellin – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jubail runs roughly 224% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,107 in Jubail versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jubail but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Jubail the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Jubail delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,107 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Jubail hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Jubail 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 Jubail gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.