Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al Khobar Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al Khobar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,346 in Al Khobar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $2,152 in Al Khobar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $2,958 in Al Khobar.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 24% less than in Al Khobar, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 24% below, Al Khobar is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$6.67 SAR 25.03

-10.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$52.7 SAR 198

-36.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$8.04 SAR 30.18

-10.07%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 SAR 7.67

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 SAR 10.09

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$4.34 SAR 16.30

-62.44%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.94 SAR 3.53

15.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.51 SAR 1.92

43.14%

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

$1.70 SAR 6.38

-38.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.40 SAR 5.25

-7.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$2.30 SAR 8.64

-42.61%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$2.92 SAR 10.96

-22.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$6.70 SAR 25.15

-35.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$9.28 SAR 34.81

-36.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$12.58 SAR 47.21

-31.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.49 SAR 9.33

-9.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.74 SAR 6.54

-38.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$2.23 SAR 8.38

-31.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.63 SAR 6.10

-12.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.42 SAR 5.33

-17.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.72 SAR 6.45

-31.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$1.71 SAR 6.41

-47.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.63 SAR 2.35

42.86%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.61 SAR 9.79

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 SAR 5.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 SAR 7.35

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$6.81 SAR 25.55

-66.96%

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

$0.97 SAR 3.63

-13.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$61.2 SAR 230

-31.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$2.19 SAR 8.21

-35.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$1.30 SAR 4.87

46.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$6.56 SAR 24.62

18.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$0.61 SAR 2.29

65.57%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$21.5K SAR 80.8K

-18.40%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$23.4K SAR 87.8K

13.17%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$125 SAR 468

-32.92%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$34.88 SAR 131

-72.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$81.1 SAR 304

-70.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$109 SAR 410

-76.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$36.43 SAR 137

-47.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$17.66 SAR 66.3

-76.78%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$304 SAR 1,140

2.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$7,640 SAR 28.7K

-21.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$64.5 SAR 242

-10.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$69.2 SAR 260

-52.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$99.5 SAR 373

0.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$78.1 SAR 293

39.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$439 SAR 1,648

9.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$405 SAR 1,521

-6.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$1,020 SAR 3,829

-17.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$811 SAR 3,043

-10.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$2,399 SAR 9,003

18.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,466 SAR 5,502

-16.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$1,861 SAR 6,983

-70.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

3.84

249.74%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Al Khobar: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $439 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays 244% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $53.0 in Al Khobar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $218 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 Khobar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Al Khobar. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Al Khobar earns 244% less. 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: $482 in Medellin versus $439 in Al Khobar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 46% less than in Al Khobar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $304 in Al Khobar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,346 in Al Khobar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Al Khobar. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,017 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Al Khobar 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.