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: $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,233 in Al-hawiyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,887 in Al-hawiyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $2,541 in Al-hawiyah.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 16% less than in Al-hawiyah, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Al-hawiyah 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$6.74 SAR 25.29

-12.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$44.68 SAR 168

-26.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$8.14 SAR 30.51

-11.55%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.87

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$3.72 SAR 13.95

-54.30%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.78 SAR 2.94

41.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.29 SAR 1.08

148.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.63 SAR 6.11

-34.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.96 SAR 3.59

30.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$2.37 SAR 8.89

-41.35%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$2.51 SAR 9.39

-9.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$6.90 SAR 25.89

-37.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$7.37 SAR 27.64

-20.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$13.22 SAR 49.59

-33.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.19 SAR 8.23

2.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.64 SAR 6.16

-34.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.72 SAR 6.47

-11.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.62 SAR 6.06

-15.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.27 SAR 4.78

-11.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.26 SAR 4.74

-11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.23 SAR 4.62

-30.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.55 SAR 2.05

65.45%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.21 SAR 12.05

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.42

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SAR 7.83

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$6.98 SAR 26.19

-66.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$1.05 SAR 3.95

-24.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$40.59 SAR 152

1.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$2.69 SAR 10.07

-46.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$1.89 SAR 7.08

1.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$13.06 SAR 48.98

-38.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$0.65 SAR 2.43

44.62%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$26.8K SAR 100.6K

-33.23%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$21.9K SAR 82.1K

22.31%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$107 SAR 401

-21.40%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$34.15 SAR 128

-71.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$73.9 SAR 277

-67.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$86.6 SAR 325

-70.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$35.74 SAR 134

-46.73%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$15.46 SAR 58.0

-74.64%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$354 SAR 1,328

-13.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$7,084 SAR 26.6K

-16.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$59.5 SAR 223

-2.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$61.3 SAR 230

-48.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$78.8 SAR 296

26.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$81.4 SAR 305

31.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$434 SAR 1,626

12.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$383 SAR 1,438

-3.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$857 SAR 3,215

-3.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$614 SAR 2,302

16.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$2,659 SAR 9,970

10.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,489 SAR 5,585

-5.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Al-hawiyah: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $434 in Al-hawiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $45.00 in Al-hawiyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $196 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 19% in total monthly costs ($1,034 vs $1,233 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,550 in Medellin and $1,849 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: $487 in Medellin versus $434 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 $45.00 in Al-hawiyah. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,034 per month in Medellin versus $1,233 in Al-hawiyah – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,233 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 19% less than in Al-hawiyah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.