Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al-hawiyah Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al-hawiyah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Medellin versus $1,074 in Al-hawiyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,364 in Medellin versus $1,596 in Al-hawiyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,139 in Medellin versus $2,118 in Al-hawiyah.

Living in Medellin is roughly 48% more expensive than in Al-hawiyah, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.9K

$4.66 SAR 17.48

71.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 150.8K

$26.67 SAR 100

74.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.6K

$6.85 SAR 25.70

37.66%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.49 SAR 5.59

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 SAR 5.66

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,432

$2.53 SAR 9.50

15.02%

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

$1.75 COP 5,678

$0.71 SAR 2.65

146.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,289

$0.23 SAR 0.86

473.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 10.1K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 18.0K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,570

$1.88 SAR 7.06

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,907

$0.96 SAR 3.59

154.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,278

$2.19 SAR 8.21

-25.57%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 9,140

$2.55 SAR 9.58

10.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 31.4K

$5.80 SAR 21.78

67.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 30.2K

$11.95 SAR 44.85

-22.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 43.6K

$13.08 SAR 49.09

2.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 13.0K

$2.03 SAR 7.60

97.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,797

$1.62 SAR 6.07

-8.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,881

$1.83 SAR 6.85

15.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,298

$1.48 SAR 5.54

52.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,193

$1.35 SAR 5.05

41.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,247

$1.51 SAR 5.66

7.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,719

$1.09 SAR 4.08

5.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,088

$0.69 SAR 2.59

82.61%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.59 SAR 9.73

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.80

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.4K

$8.08 SAR 30.33

-52.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 42.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,168

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,308

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,793

$1.12 SAR 4.20

4.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 243.0K

$31.31 SAR 118

139.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,123

$2.42 SAR 9.09

-47.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,640

$2.74 SAR 10.29

-25.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.6K

$13.50 SAR 50.7

-39.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,113

$0.61 SAR 2.28

108.20%

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

$26.8K COP 86.7M

$44.4K SAR 166.7K

-39.70%

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

$34.4K COP 111.5M

$21.1K SAR 79.2K

62.98%

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

$162 COP 525.5K

$66.5 SAR 249

144.07%

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

$13.12 COP 42.5K

$35.32 SAR 133

-62.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 91.0K

$61.9 SAR 232

-54.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 143.6K

$87.4 SAR 328

-49.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.9K

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.7K

$15.06 SAR 56.5

-59.56%

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

$764 COP 2.5M

$395 SAR 1,483

93.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.8M

$8,923 SAR 33.5K

-0.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 275.3K

$13.43 SAR 50.4

532.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 186.2K

$53.8 SAR 202

6.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 426.9K

$40.12 SAR 151

228.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 310.2K

$53.4 SAR 200

79.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$545 SAR 2,044

88.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 2.0M

$349 SAR 1,309

73.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.8M

$873 SAR 3,279

106.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$560 SAR 2,102

77.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.7M

$2,288 SAR 8,591

71.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.3M

$1,239 SAR 4,652

32.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.25

108.38%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Al-hawiyah: October 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $545 in Al-hawiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Medellin vs $27.00 in Al-hawiyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $218 per month, with Al-hawiyah 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 Al-hawiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Al-hawiyah differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($1,589 vs $1,074 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,384 in Medellin and $1,610 in Al-hawiyah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,028 in Medellin versus $545 in Al-hawiyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Al-hawiyah – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $47.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,589 per month in Medellin versus $1,074 in Al-hawiyah – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,074 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,589 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-hawiyah but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Al-hawiyah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Al-hawiyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.