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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,370 in Ar-rawdah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $2,342 in Ar-rawdah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $3,314 in Ar-rawdah.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 26% less than in Ar-rawdah, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 24% below, Ar-rawdah is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$10.06 KWD 3.09

-40.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$83.0 KWD 25.45

-60.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$8.92 KWD 2.74

-20.52%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 KWD 0.76

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 KWD 1.13

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$5.91 KWD 1.81

-71.07%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.68 KWD 0.21

61.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.35 KWD 0.11

122.86%

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

$1.56 KWD 0.48

-30.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$1.28 KWD 0.39

-1.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.80 KWD 0.55

-23.33%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$2.08 KWD 0.64

5.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$5.24 KWD 1.61

-16.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$6.52 KWD 2.00

-13.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$10.39 KWD 3.19

-14.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$2.39 KWD 0.73

-2.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.91 KWD 0.58

-44.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.74 KWD 0.53

-13.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.49 KWD 0.46

-7.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$1.28 KWD 0.39

-10.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$1.33 KWD 0.41

-12.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$1.70 KWD 0.52

-47.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.46 KWD 0.14

82.61%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.17 KWD 0.97

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 KWD 0.41

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$2.99 KWD 0.92

-23.75%

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

$0.90 KWD 0.27

-4.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$43.42 KWD 13.32

-4.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$3.28 KWD 1.01

-55.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$3.22 KWD 0.99

-39.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$16.51 KWD 5.06

-53.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$0.34 KWD 0.10

179.41%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$20.8K KWD 6,390

-12.97%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$19.7K KWD 6,038

34.54%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$63.2 KWD 19.38

30.18%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$18.75 KWD 5.75

-49.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$26.29 KWD 8.06

-7.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$95.4 KWD 29.25

-72.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$46.47 KWD 14.25

-59.11%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$11.63 KWD 3.57

-66.21%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$408 KWD 125

-24.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$6,537 KWD 2,005

-8.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$42.11 KWD 12.91

39.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$41.99 KWD 12.88

-22.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$89.0 KWD 27.30

15.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$81.0 KWD 24.84

33.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$784 KWD 240

-39.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$601 KWD 184

-36.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$1,548 KWD 475

-45.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$1,293 KWD 397

-44.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,593 KWD 489

-23.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

7.14

88.10%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ar-rawdah: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $784 in Ar-rawdah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $83.0 in Ar-rawdah. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $180, with Ar-rawdah cheaper for home cooking.

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-rawdah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Ar-rawdah. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,519 in Medellin and $2,055 in Ar-rawdah 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: $476 in Medellin versus $784 in Ar-rawdah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Ar-rawdah pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $83.0 in Ar-rawdah. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,370 in Ar-rawdah, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ar-rawdah. 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 $1,013 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Ar-rawdah 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 35% less than in Ar-rawdah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.