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: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,128 in Ar-rass.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,716 in Ar-rass.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,304 in Ar-rass.

Living in Medellin is roughly 46% more expensive than in Ar-rass, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Ar-rass is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$6.64 SAR 24.94

21.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$37.19 SAR 140

29.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$7.85 SAR 29.49

20.00%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 SAR 7.11

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 SAR 7.65

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.38 SAR 12.70

-13.02%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.88 SAR 3.29

111.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.24 SAR 0.90

508.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.90 SAR 7.13

-24.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.38 SAR 1.44

531.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.88 SAR 7.07

-9.57%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$3.61 SAR 13.56

-19.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$7.96 SAR 29.89

26.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$7.96 SAR 29.90

25.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$12.72 SAR 47.76

11.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.16 SAR 8.12

84.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.78 SAR 6.69

-11.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.63 SAR 6.12

31.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.68 SAR 6.32

36.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.18 SAR 4.43

69.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.38 SAR 5.19

9.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.15 SAR 4.30

4.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.59 SAR 2.22

116.95%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.11 SAR 11.68

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 SAR 6.92

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 SAR 8.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$7.60 SAR 28.54

-49.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$1.05 SAR 3.93

19.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$36.46 SAR 137

113.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$2.91 SAR 10.92

-54.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.56 SAR 5.85

39.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$11.39 SAR 42.79

-27.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$0.63 SAR 2.37

115.87%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$46.7K SAR 175.2K

-41.11%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$21.6K SAR 81.1K

69.16%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$111 SAR 418

51.59%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$24.15 SAR 90.7

-43.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$60.9 SAR 229

-53.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$44.34 SAR 167

3.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$36.32 SAR 136

-52.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$13.39 SAR 50.3

-50.34%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$347 SAR 1,303

131.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$7,201 SAR 27.0K

27.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$50.2 SAR 189

74.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$53.7 SAR 202

10.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$95.8 SAR 360

44.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$95.0 SAR 357

7.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$571 SAR 2,146

87.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$378 SAR 1,421

72.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$383 SAR 1,438

402.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$494 SAR 1,856

112.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$2,344 SAR 8,804

75.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,340 SAR 5,031

26.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$1,729 SAR 6,494

-62.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.47

100.00%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ar-rass: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $571 in Ar-rass. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 164% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $37.00 in Ar-rass for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $201 per month, with Ar-rass 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 46% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $1,128 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 164% lower in Ar-rass. 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $571 in Ar-rass. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $347 in Ar-rass. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,128 in Ar-rass versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ar-rass but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ar-rass 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 Ar-rass gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.