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: $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,341 in Al Khobar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $2,136 in Al Khobar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $2,931 in Al Khobar.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 23% less than in Al Khobar, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% below, Al Khobar is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.5K

$6.80 SAR 25.51

-12.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 119.1K

$52.4 SAR 196

-37.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.2K

$7.81 SAR 29.27

-7.81%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 SAR 7.63

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 SAR 10.23

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,186

$4.23 SAR 15.84

-59.81%

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

$1.10 COP 3,996

$1.02 SAR 3.84

7.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,625

$0.49 SAR 1.83

46.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,067

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,837

$1.77 SAR 6.63

-40.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,531

$1.34 SAR 5.02

-6.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,060

$2.40 SAR 9.01

-42.08%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,229

$2.82 SAR 10.57

-19.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.8K

$6.88 SAR 25.80

-37.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.2K

$9.05 SAR 33.93

-35.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 32.1K

$12.37 SAR 46.39

-28.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,159

$2.43 SAR 9.11

-7.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,911

$1.73 SAR 6.47

-37.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,563

$2.21 SAR 8.29

-30.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,987

$1.62 SAR 6.08

-15.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,109

$1.43 SAR 5.36

-20.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,067

$1.72 SAR 6.46

-34.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,080

$1.71 SAR 6.40

-50.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,305

$0.59 SAR 2.23

54.24%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.72 SAR 10.21

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 SAR 5.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 SAR 7.02

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,477

$6.59 SAR 24.71

-64.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,342

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,617

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,859

$0.91 SAR 3.40

-13.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

$59.5 SAR 223

-30.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,223

$2.21 SAR 8.29

-34.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,952

$1.31 SAR 4.90

45.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 29.2K

$6.69 SAR 25.08

19.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,410

$0.63 SAR 2.38

49.21%

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

$17.9K COP 65.2M

$21.0K SAR 78.7K

-14.65%

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

$26.8K COP 97.4M

$23.1K SAR 86.5K

16.15%

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

$84.0 COP 305.4K

$123 SAR 461

-31.67%

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

$9.60 COP 34.9K

$34.30 SAR 129

-72.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.9K

$80.9 SAR 303

-70.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 94.1K

$109 SAR 409

-76.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 69.3K

$36.07 SAR 135

-47.21%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.2K

$17.15 SAR 64.3

-77.14%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$306 SAR 1,147

0.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.5M

$7,552 SAR 28.3K

-21.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 210.6K

$62.9 SAR 236

-7.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 115.7K

$68.8 SAR 258

-53.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 363.3K

$99.1 SAR 372

0.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 389.7K

$79.1 SAR 297

35.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$437 SAR 1,639

11.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$394 SAR 1,479

-6.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$1,054 SAR 3,952

-21.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$788 SAR 2,955

-9.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$2,411 SAR 9,040

21.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,432 SAR 5,370

-1.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$1,942 SAR 7,283

-71.91%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Al Khobar: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $437 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays 256% 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 $52.0 in Al Khobar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $216 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 30% 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 256% 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: $487 in Medellin versus $437 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 45% less than in Al Khobar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $306 in Medellin versus $306 in Al Khobar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,341 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 $1,034 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 30% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.