Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Abha

For one person, living is cheaper in Abha: $1,062 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Abha
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Abha Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Abha

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,062

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Abha

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Abha actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,062 in Abha, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Abha $1,062

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,754 in Abha, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Abha $1,754

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,445 in Abha, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Abha $2,445

Medellin costs about 54% more than Abha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Abha is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$5.36 SAR 20.12

50.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$50.4 SAR 189

-6.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$7.61 SAR 28.57

24.84%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 SAR 6.13

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 SAR 5.07

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$3.21 SAR 12.05

-6.23%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.58 SAR 2.18

210.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.22 SAR 0.82

540.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.63 SAR 6.11

-7.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$0.59 SAR 2.22

303.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$2.01 SAR 7.53

-11.94%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$3.08 SAR 11.57

-6.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$4.36 SAR 16.35

133.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$7.46 SAR 27.99

32.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$18.35 SAR 68.8

-23.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$2.00 SAR 7.49

98.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.91 SAR 7.17

-18.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$1.58 SAR 5.94

37.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$1.65 SAR 6.18

32.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$2.21 SAR 8.28

-11.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.27 SAR 4.75

25.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$0.37 SAR 1.41

210.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.47 SAR 1.78

163.83%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.34 SAR 16.28

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 SAR 4.37

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 SAR 5.67

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$9.39 SAR 35.22

-57.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$0.80 SAR 3.00

46.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$37.99 SAR 143

103.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$3.01 SAR 11.31

-57.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$2.73 SAR 10.24

-24.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$13.48 SAR 50.6

-36.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$0.64 SAR 2.39

110.94%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$29.2K SAR 109.4K

16.84%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$19.7K SAR 74.0K

75.74%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$87.8 SAR 329

93.25%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$37.47 SAR 141

-63.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$76.2 SAR 286

-63.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$93.4 SAR 350

-53.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$44.58 SAR 167

-61.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$16.19 SAR 60.7

-57.32%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$213 SAR 798

274.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$4,133 SAR 15.5K

120.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$31.20 SAR 117

171.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$70.1 SAR 263

-17.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$96.0 SAR 360

40.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$65.8 SAR 247

48.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$317 SAR 1,189

281.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$251 SAR 942

155.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$539 SAR 2,023

276.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$560 SAR 2,101

80.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$934 SAR 3,504

346.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$1,313 SAR 4,929

45.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$2,204 SAR 8,271

-70.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

82.33%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Abha: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Abha

$251 23.6% 60.9% $390

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Abha

$200 18.9% 32.6% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Abha

$201 19% 4.6% $9.8

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Abha

$107 10.1% 36.6% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Abha

$118 11.1% 30% $51

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Abha

$58 5.5% 38.2% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Abha

$126 11.8% 119% $68

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $317 in Abha. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Abha are about 3.4 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $50 in Abha. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $200 in Abha – so Abha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇸🇦 Abha

🕒 Local time

13:41 1:41 PM

21:41 9:41 PM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

236,157

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Abha 12,700 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Abha

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

Medellin vs Abha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 54% more than Abha, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,593 in Abha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Abha, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $317 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 48% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $50 in Abha. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,062 in Abha. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Abha – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.