Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ad Dammam Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ad Dammam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,205 in Ad Dammam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,828 in Ad Dammam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,450 in Ad Dammam.

Living in Medellin is roughly 39% more expensive than in Ad Dammam, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Ad Dammam is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$7.90 SAR 29.66

1.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$35.27 SAR 132

35.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$6.78 SAR 25.48

45.87%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 SAR 7.23

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 SAR 8.33

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.98 SAR 11.18

5.03%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.77 SAR 2.90

148.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.20 SAR 0.77

655.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.80 SAR 6.77

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.27 SAR 4.78

96.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.87 SAR 7.02

-5.35%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.18 SAR 8.19

35.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$7.26 SAR 27.26

38.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$7.74 SAR 29.06

30.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$12.95 SAR 48.63

10.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.19 SAR 8.23

89.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.66 SAR 6.24

-3.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.58 SAR 5.92

42.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.56 SAR 5.84

44.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.11 SAR 4.18

83.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.16 SAR 4.37

32.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.27 SAR 4.75

-7.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.58 SAR 2.19

125.86%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.20 SAR 15.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 SAR 5.70

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 SAR 8.31

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$7.58 SAR 28.45

-48.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.98 SAR 3.69

24.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$35.71 SAR 134

125.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$2.74 SAR 10.28

-52.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$2.62 SAR 9.82

-16.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$13.54 SAR 50.8

-35.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.60 SAR 2.27

128.33%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$66.7K SAR 250.4K

-58.25%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$21.0K SAR 79.0K

69.99%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$127 SAR 478

39.40%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$32.69 SAR 123

-57.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$64.4 SAR 242

-53.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$77.7 SAR 292

-42.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$28.77 SAR 108

-40.49%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$13.58 SAR 51.0

-51.03%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$419 SAR 1,574

93.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$7,803 SAR 29.3K

17.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$42.01 SAR 158

113.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$49.62 SAR 186

18.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$97.9 SAR 368

41.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$91.6 SAR 344

11.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$584 SAR 2,193

81.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$369 SAR 1,385

79.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$985 SAR 3,700

91.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$673 SAR 2,529

52.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,416 SAR 5,319

195.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$600 SAR 2,253

179.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,520 SAR 5,708

-55.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.9

85.42%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ad Dammam: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $584 in Ad Dammam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ad Dammam pays 124% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $35.00 in Ad Dammam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $199 per month, with Ad Dammam 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

Medellin vs Ad Dammam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ad Dammam wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ad Dammam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 124% lower in Ad Dammam. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $584 in Ad Dammam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $1,205 in Ad Dammam – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ad Dammam runs roughly 125% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,205 in Ad Dammam versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ad Dammam but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ad Dammam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ad Dammam delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,205 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ad Dammam hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Ad Dammam 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 Ad Dammam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.