Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jubail and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Jubail: $1,100 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Jubail
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Jubail Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Jubail

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,100

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,100 in Jubail versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Jubail $1,100
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,720 in Jubail versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Jubail $1,720
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,339 in Jubail versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Jubail $2,339
Medellin $3,186

Living in Jubail costs roughly 33% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.82 SAR 25.60

$8.09 COP 25.6K

-15.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.32 SAR 148

$47.05 COP 148.9K

-16.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.07 SAR 34.03

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-4.53%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 SAR 7.21

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 SAR 8.59

Cappuccino

$3.99 SAR 14.97

$3.01 COP 9,540

32.56%

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

$1.00 SAR 3.74

$1.80 COP 5,693

-44.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 SAR 1.06

$1.41 COP 4,469

-80.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 SAR 5.61

$1.51 COP 4,778

-0.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 SAR 5.45

$2.38 COP 7,524

-39.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.09

$1.77 COP 5,606

-8.47%

Eggs

$2.06 SAR 7.74

$2.89 COP 9,146

-28.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.82 SAR 36.85

$10.19 COP 32.2K

-3.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.44 SAR 24.16

$9.87 COP 31.2K

-34.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.15 SAR 45.57

$13.99 COP 44.3K

-13.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 SAR 8.39

$3.97 COP 12.6K

-43.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 SAR 6.60

$1.55 COP 4,911

13.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.87

$2.18 COP 6,907

-28.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 SAR 6.34

$2.18 COP 6,910

-22.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.85

$1.96 COP 6,210

-34.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 SAR 5.25

$1.59 COP 5,029

-11.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 SAR 6.56

$1.15 COP 3,625

52.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 SAR 2.04

$1.24 COP 3,934

-56.45%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.00 SAR 11.27

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 SAR 8.21

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 SAR 7.63

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.64 SAR 24.90

$3.96 COP 12.5K

67.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 SAR 4.91

$1.17 COP 3,696

11.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.90 SAR 89.7

$77.4 COP 244.8K

-69.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 SAR 12.21

$1.27 COP 4,013

155.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 SAR 10.27

$2.05 COP 6,480

33.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.54 SAR 50.8

$8.55 COP 27.1K

58.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 SAR 2.27

$1.35 COP 4,262

-54.81%

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

$26.8K SAR 100.5K

$34.1K COP 107.8M

-21.38%

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

$21.7K SAR 81.3K

$34.7K COP 109.7M

-37.47%

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

$80.1 SAR 301

$170 COP 536.8K

-52.77%

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

$27.36 SAR 103

$13.55 COP 42.9K

101.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.1 SAR 248

$28.07 COP 88.8K

135.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$104 SAR 391

$43.70 COP 138.3K

138.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.93 SAR 150

$17.19 COP 54.4K

132.29%

Cinema Ticket

$13.58 SAR 50.9

$6.91 COP 21.9K

96.53%

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

$178 SAR 667

$797 COP 2.5M

-77.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,690 SAR 28.8K

$9,112 COP 28.8M

-15.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.14 SAR 158

$84.7 COP 268.1K

-50.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 SAR 222

$58.0 COP 183.4K

2.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 SAR 300

$135 COP 427.1K

-40.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.6 SAR 325

$97.9 COP 309.7K

-11.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 SAR 1,591

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-64.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$295 SAR 1,105

$642 COP 2.0M

-54.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$667 SAR 2,502

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-67.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 SAR 1,950

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-48.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,743 SAR 10.3K

$4,170 COP 13.2M

-34.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,396 SAR 5,238

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-26.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,605 SAR 6,021

$657 COP 2.1M

144.22%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jubail

$295 26.8%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 118% $347

Groceries & Markets

Jubail

$199 18.1%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 49.3% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jubail

$174 15.8%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 21.7% $38

Eating Out

Jubail

$135 12.3%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 25.8% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Jubail

$131 11.9%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 56.2% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Jubail

$121 11%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 40.1% $48

Getting Around

Jubail

$46 4.2%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 103% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $424 in Jubail and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jubail pays about 2.4 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39 in Jubail vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $297 per month, with Jubail cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Jubail

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

07:02 7:02 AM

23:02 11:02 PM

8 h behind Jubail

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

337,778

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.267 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.267 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Jubail Medellin 13,060 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Jubail
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

Jubail vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jubail wins on cost – living expenses run 33% 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 in Jubail is about 2.4 times higher, 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: $424 in Jubail versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,100 per month in Jubail versus $1,639 in Medellin – Jubail is about 33% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Jubail runs roughly 69% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Jubail is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Jubail gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.