Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ar-rass Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ar-rass

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,169 in Ar-rass.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,770 in Ar-rass.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,372 in Ar-rass.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 13% less than in Ar-rass, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Ar-rass 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$6.55 SAR 24.58

-8.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$44.10 SAR 166

-25.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$7.87 SAR 29.52

-9.91%

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

$1.71 COP 6,115

$3.62 SAR 13.57

-52.76%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.76 SAR 2.84

44.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.29 SAR 1.08

168.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$2.39 SAR 8.97

-54.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$1.01 SAR 3.79

24.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.55 SAR 5.82

-10.97%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$3.61 SAR 13.56

-39.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$6.77 SAR 25.40

-35.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$7.45 SAR 27.96

-24.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$13.04 SAR 48.93

-31.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$2.23 SAR 8.38

4.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.64 SAR 6.16

-35.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.75 SAR 6.56

-14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.56 SAR 5.87

-11.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$1.28 SAR 4.81

-10.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$1.31 SAR 4.92

-11.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$1.19 SAR 4.46

-25.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.59 SAR 2.20

42.37%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.80 SAR 10.51

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SAR 6.53

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$6.29 SAR 23.61

-63.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$1.09 SAR 4.08

-21.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$39.20 SAR 147

5.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$2.61 SAR 9.78

-43.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$1.92 SAR 7.22

2.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$13.48 SAR 50.6

-42.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$0.59 SAR 2.21

61.02%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$27.0K SAR 101.4K

-32.91%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$22.6K SAR 84.8K

17.23%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$104 SAR 390

-20.93%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$33.90 SAR 127

-71.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$72.7 SAR 273

-66.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$43.87 SAR 165

-40.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$35.18 SAR 132

-45.99%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$15.52 SAR 58.3

-74.68%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$349 SAR 1,310

-11.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$6,909 SAR 25.9K

-13.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$21.12 SAR 79.3

177.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$61.3 SAR 230

-47.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$79.5 SAR 298

29.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$82.4 SAR 309

31.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$445 SAR 1,669

7.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$382 SAR 1,434

-0.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$388 SAR 1,455

116.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$614 SAR 2,303

17.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$2,559 SAR 9,604

9.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,508 SAR 5,658

-19.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$1,728 SAR 6,485

-70.38%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ar-rass: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $445 in Ar-rass. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 238% 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 $44.00 in Ar-rass for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $205 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 Ar-rass: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Ar-rass differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $1,169 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ar-rass earns 238% 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: $476 in Medellin versus $445 in Ar-rass. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $349 in Ar-rass. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Ar-rass. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,169 in Ar-rass, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ar-rass. 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 15% less than in Ar-rass. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.