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: $1,050 in Jubail versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,650 in Jubail versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,251 in Jubail versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Jubail is roughly 2% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jubail 22% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.48 SAR 24.31

$5.92 COP 21.5K

9.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.19 SAR 151

$32.75 COP 119.1K

22.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 SAR 34.84

$7.20 COP 26.2K

29.03%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 SAR 6.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 SAR 10.70

Cappuccino

$3.39 SAR 12.71

$1.70 COP 6,186

99.41%

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

$0.83 SAR 3.10

$1.10 COP 3,996

-24.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.97

$0.72 COP 2,625

-63.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,067

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 SAR 6.65

$1.06 COP 3,837

66.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 SAR 3.68

$1.25 COP 4,531

-21.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 SAR 6.11

$1.39 COP 5,060

17.27%

Eggs

$2.52 SAR 9.44

$2.26 COP 8,229

11.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.20 SAR 30.76

$4.33 COP 15.8K

89.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 SAR 25.85

$5.84 COP 21.2K

17.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 SAR 41.96

$8.83 COP 32.1K

26.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 SAR 8.72

$2.24 COP 8,159

3.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 SAR 6.40

$1.08 COP 3,911

58.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.91

$1.53 COP 5,563

3.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 SAR 5.37

$1.37 COP 4,987

4.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 SAR 4.20

$1.13 COP 4,109

-0.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.86

$1.12 COP 4,067

16.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 SAR 5.17

$0.85 COP 3,080

62.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 SAR 2.39

$0.91 COP 3,305

-29.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.91 SAR 10.92

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 SAR 7.42

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 SAR 9.14

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.02 SAR 26.33

$2.33 COP 8,477

201.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,342

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,617

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 SAR 3.63

$0.79 COP 2,859

22.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.13 SAR 94.2

$41.13 COP 149.6K

-38.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 SAR 15.32

$1.44 COP 5,223

183.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 SAR 6.94

$1.91 COP 6,952

-3.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.01 SAR 63.8

$8.02 COP 29.2K

112.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.37

$0.94 COP 3,410

-32.98%

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

$20.2K SAR 75.9K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

12.96%

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

$24.2K SAR 90.8K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-9.65%

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

$98.8 SAR 371

$84.0 COP 305.4K

17.69%

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

$31.97 SAR 120

$9.60 COP 34.9K

233.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.1 SAR 244

$24.16 COP 87.9K

169.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.0 SAR 330

$25.88 COP 94.1K

239.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.90 SAR 135

$19.04 COP 69.3K

88.55%

Cinema Ticket

$13.89 SAR 52.1

$3.92 COP 14.2K

254.34%

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

$202 SAR 759

$306 COP 1.1M

-33.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,378 SAR 31.4K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

41.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.63 SAR 145

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-33.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.2 SAR 233

$31.82 COP 115.7K

95.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.4 SAR 313

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-16.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 SAR 298

$107 COP 389.7K

-25.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 SAR 1,513

$487 COP 1.8M

-17.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$277 SAR 1,039

$368 COP 1.3M

-24.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$655 SAR 2,456

$826 COP 3.0M

-20.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 SAR 1,892

$716 COP 2.6M

-29.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,522 SAR 9,458

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-13.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,316 SAR 4,934

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-6.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 SAR 6,008

$546 COP 2.0M

193.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

13.43

-60.31%

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

Last update for Jubail: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $403 in Jubail and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jubail pays 194% 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: $40.00 in Jubail vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $190 per month, with Medellin 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

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Jubail. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Jubail pays 194% 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: $403 in Jubail versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,050 per month in Jubail versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 64% less than in Jubail. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,050 in Jubail, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Jubail. 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 $1,034 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Jubail. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.