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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,231 in Al-hawiyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,865 in Al-hawiyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $2,498 in Al-hawiyah.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 17% less than in Al-hawiyah, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Al-hawiyah 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$6.84 SAR 25.66

-13.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$44.06 SAR 165

-24.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$7.75 SAR 29.10

-6.71%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 SAR 6.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 SAR 6.79

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$3.59 SAR 13.47

-54.60%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.80 SAR 3.01

36.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.31 SAR 1.18

135.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.65 SAR 6.18

-36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.96 SAR 3.59

34.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$2.27 SAR 8.52

-41.85%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$2.44 SAR 9.17

-6.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$6.85 SAR 25.71

-36.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$7.38 SAR 27.68

-20.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$12.78 SAR 47.95

-32.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.18 SAR 8.19

3.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.57 SAR 5.91

-31.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.68 SAR 6.31

-9.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.57 SAR 5.89

-9.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.25 SAR 4.69

-6.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.32 SAR 4.94

-11.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$1.24 SAR 4.64

-28.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.55 SAR 2.07

63.64%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.55 SAR 9.57

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SAR 7.85

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$6.99 SAR 26.23

-67.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$1.10 SAR 4.13

-23.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$40.66 SAR 153

3.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$2.74 SAR 10.28

-48.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$1.90 SAR 7.11

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$13.20 SAR 49.55

-41.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$0.64 SAR 2.38

57.81%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$26.3K SAR 98.8K

-33.25%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$22.5K SAR 84.6K

17.51%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$107 SAR 400

-21.57%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$33.14 SAR 124

-71.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$72.2 SAR 271

-66.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$86.4 SAR 324

-70.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$35.07 SAR 132

-45.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$15.65 SAR 58.7

-73.80%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$349 SAR 1,311

-10.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$7,102 SAR 26.7K

-15.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$58.8 SAR 221

-1.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$60.3 SAR 226

-46.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$79.8 SAR 299

24.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$82.7 SAR 310

31.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$441 SAR 1,655

9.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$382 SAR 1,434

-0.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$855 SAR 3,207

-2.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$612 SAR 2,298

18.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$2,356 SAR 8,840

20.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,468 SAR 5,509

-16.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.42

203.85%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Al-hawiyah: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $441 in Al-hawiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $44.00 in Al-hawiyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $194 per month, with Medellin 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 21% in total monthly costs ($1,017 vs $1,231 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,525 in Medellin and $1,847 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: $482 in Medellin versus $441 in Al-hawiyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $44.00 in Al-hawiyah. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,017 per month in Medellin versus $1,231 in Al-hawiyah – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,231 in Al-hawiyah, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Al-hawiyah. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Al-hawiyah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.