Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mecca and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Mecca: $936 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Mecca
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Mecca Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Mecca

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$936

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Mecca versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Mecca $936
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,453 in Mecca versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Mecca $1,453
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,970 in Mecca versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Mecca $1,970
Medellin $3,190

Living in Mecca costs roughly 42% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mecca is 31% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.57 SAR 17.14

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-42.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.89 SAR 101

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-41.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 SAR 26.52

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-25.58%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 SAR 5.81

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 SAR 5.61

Cappuccino

$2.61 SAR 9.79

$3.11 COP 9,866

-16.08%

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

$0.67 SAR 2.51

$1.83 COP 5,800

-63.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 SAR 0.86

$1.38 COP 4,360

-83.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

$1.45 COP 4,600

20.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 SAR 3.85

$2.36 COP 7,496

-56.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 SAR 7.91

$1.68 COP 5,328

25.60%

Eggs

$2.52 SAR 9.46

$2.86 COP 9,077

-11.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.92 SAR 22.20

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-41.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.08 SAR 30.33

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-15.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 SAR 48.59

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-7.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 SAR 7.84

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-48.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

$1.50 COP 4,742

5.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

$2.17 COP 6,891

-25.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 SAR 5.52

$2.31 COP 7,310

-36.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 SAR 4.21

$1.93 COP 6,113

-41.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.87

$1.64 COP 5,196

-20.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 SAR 3.94

$1.13 COP 3,571

-7.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 SAR 1.86

$1.25 COP 3,954

-60.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.06 SAR 15.24

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.95

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.97

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.81 SAR 25.56

$3.99 COP 12.6K

70.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 SAR 5.03

$1.21 COP 3,827

10.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 SAR 9.11

$1.32 COP 4,179

84.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

$2.14 COP 6,774

-18.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.15 SAR 49.33

$8.47 COP 26.8K

55.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.38

$1.30 COP 4,114

-51.54%

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

$47.5K SAR 178.2K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

69.65%

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

$21.1K SAR 79.3K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-40.34%

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

$66.9 SAR 251

$172 COP 545.6K

-61.15%

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

$35.35 SAR 133

$13.37 COP 42.4K

164.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.2 SAR 237

$28.73 COP 91.1K

119.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.7 SAR 303

$45.24 COP 143.5K

78.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.52 SAR 160

$17.04 COP 54.0K

149.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 SAR 44.88

$6.28 COP 19.9K

90.45%

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

$775 SAR 2,907

$770 COP 2.4M

0.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K SAR 60.8K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

79.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.57 SAR 50.9

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-84.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 SAR 214

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-0.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.67 SAR 149

$137 COP 432.9K

-70.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.3 SAR 200

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-45.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 SAR 2,001

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-49.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 SAR 1,088

$616 COP 2.0M

-52.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 SAR 3,114

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-56.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 SAR 1,963

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-48.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,375 SAR 23.9K

$4,059 COP 12.9M

57.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,298 SAR 8,624

$1,678 COP 5.3M

36.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,083 SAR 4,063

$652 COP 2.1M

65.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

10.94

-52.01%

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

Last update for Mecca: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mecca

$290 31%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 112% $326

Groceries & Markets

Mecca

$193 20.6%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 52.6% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mecca

$165 17.7%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 29.5% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Mecca

$105 11.2%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 44.8% $47

Eating Out

Mecca

$93 9.9%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 81.8% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Mecca

$74 7.9%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 131% $97

Getting Around

Mecca

$17 * 1.8%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 464% $77

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $533 in Mecca and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mecca pays 66% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $27.00 in Mecca vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $295 per month, with Mecca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Mecca

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

05:17 5:17 AM

21:17 9:17 PM

8 h behind Mecca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,675,368

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mecca Medellin 12,340 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Mecca
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

Mecca vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mecca is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 66% higher in Mecca, 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: $533 in Mecca versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $936 per month in Mecca versus $1,614 in Medellin – a 72% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $936 in Mecca versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mecca but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Mecca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mecca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mecca 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 Mecca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.