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: $1,687 in Medellin versus $1,148 in Al-hawiyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,535 in Medellin versus $1,758 in Al-hawiyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,383 in Medellin versus $2,368 in Al-hawiyah.

Living in Medellin is roughly 47% more expensive than in Al-hawiyah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Al-hawiyah is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 COP 24.2K

$6.85 SAR 25.73

15.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.53 COP 136.5K

$38.06 SAR 143

17.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 COP 28.5K

$7.78 SAR 29.22

19.41%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 SAR 6.23

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 SAR 7.40

Cappuccino

$2.90 COP 8,874

$3.36 SAR 12.63

-13.69%

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

$1.81 COP 5,541

$0.84 SAR 3.15

115.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 COP 4,741

$0.24 SAR 0.90

545.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 9,962

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 COP 18.0K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 COP 4,230

$1.74 SAR 6.55

-20.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 COP 7,517

$0.94 SAR 3.55

160.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,617

$2.19 SAR 8.23

-31.05%

Eggs

$2.78 COP 8,516

$2.39 SAR 8.97

16.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 COP 27.7K

$7.50 SAR 28.16

20.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 COP 32.6K

$7.62 SAR 28.63

39.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 COP 44.8K

$13.05 SAR 48.99

12.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.2K

$2.09 SAR 7.86

89.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,219

$1.72 SAR 6.45

-19.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,056

$1.55 SAR 5.82

48.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,185

$1.69 SAR 6.33

19.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,390

$1.16 SAR 4.36

80.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 COP 4,996

$1.32 SAR 4.95

23.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,313

$1.19 SAR 4.47

-9.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,843

$0.55 SAR 2.08

127.27%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.76

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 SAR 6.36

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.88

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 COP 12.4K

$6.83 SAR 25.63

-41.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 COP 41.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 4,904

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 COP 9,189

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,611

$1.04 SAR 3.92

13.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 244.9K

$35.89 SAR 135

122.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 COP 4,920

$3.00 SAR 11.27

-46.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,533

$1.84 SAR 6.92

15.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 COP 26.1K

$13.20 SAR 49.55

-35.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,142

$0.60 SAR 2.26

125.00%

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

$28.3K COP 86.8M

$45.2K SAR 169.6K

-37.28%

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

$35.7K COP 109.4M

$21.6K SAR 81.1K

65.17%

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

$151 COP 463.8K

$101 SAR 378

50.22%

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

$13.10 COP 40.1K

$32.19 SAR 121

-59.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 COP 99.0K

$65.3 SAR 245

-50.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.33 COP 141.9K

$84.0 SAR 315

-44.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 COP 52.9K

$36.71 SAR 138

-52.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 COP 19.7K

$13.27 SAR 49.82

-51.54%

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

$835 COP 2.6M

$342 SAR 1,283

144.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,887 COP 27.2M

$6,609 SAR 24.8K

34.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 COP 273.7K

$50.6 SAR 190

76.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 COP 169.5K

$59.1 SAR 222

-6.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 418.5K

$95.2 SAR 357

43.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 335.1K

$88.8 SAR 333

23.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 COP 2.9M

$573 SAR 2,150

66.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 COP 2.0M

$339 SAR 1,272

97.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 COP 6.2M

$895 SAR 3,360

125.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 COP 3.5M

$559 SAR 2,101

105.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,696 COP 11.3M

$2,365 SAR 8,880

56.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,586 COP 4.9M

$1,401 SAR 5,260

13.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

5.47

90.68%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Last update for Al-hawiyah: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $952 in Medellin and $573 in Al-hawiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Medellin vs $38.00 in Al-hawiyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $198 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 47% in total monthly costs ($1,687 vs $1,148 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,530 in Medellin and $1,722 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: $952 in Medellin versus $573 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 $38.00 versus $45.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,687 per month in Medellin versus $1,148 in Al-hawiyah – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,148 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,687 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 47% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.