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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,387 in Ar-rawdah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $2,324 in Ar-rawdah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $3,261 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 23% below, Ar-rawdah is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$9.76 KWD 3.02

-36.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$80.3 KWD 24.89

-59.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$9.16 KWD 2.84

-19.87%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 KWD 0.78

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 KWD 1.11

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$5.88 KWD 1.82

-70.75%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.64 KWD 0.20

64.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.38 KWD 0.12

102.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.60 KWD 0.50

-34.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.26 KWD 0.39

3.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.72 KWD 0.53

-18.60%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$2.09 KWD 0.65

3.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$5.25 KWD 1.63

-16.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$6.43 KWD 1.99

-8.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$10.13 KWD 3.14

-14.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$2.41 KWD 0.75

-5.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.95 KWD 0.60

-43.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$1.80 KWD 0.56

-15.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.45 KWD 0.45

-6.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.23 KWD 0.38

-8.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.28 KWD 0.40

-11.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.69 KWD 0.52

-49.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.48 KWD 0.15

89.58%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.31 KWD 1.03

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 KWD 0.33

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 KWD 0.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$3.00 KWD 0.93

-22.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.88 KWD 0.27

-4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$43.51 KWD 13.48

-6.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$3.34 KWD 1.04

-57.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$3.28 KWD 1.02

-41.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$16.02 KWD 4.96

-52.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$0.34 KWD 0.10

191.18%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$21.2K KWD 6,581

-15.09%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$19.9K KWD 6,177

33.59%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$61.9 KWD 19.17

30.63%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$18.84 KWD 5.84

-47.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$26.31 KWD 8.15

-8.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$93.4 KWD 28.93

-73.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$45.48 KWD 14.09

-57.89%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$11.60 KWD 3.59

-65.69%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$408 KWD 126

-25.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$6,519 KWD 2,020

-7.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$42.73 KWD 13.24

36.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$42.53 KWD 13.18

-24.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$87.0 KWD 26.96

15.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$81.9 KWD 25.39

31.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$788 KWD 244

-39.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$620 KWD 192

-39.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$1,601 KWD 496

-47.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$1,291 KWD 400

-43.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,628 KWD 505

-15.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ar-rawdah: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $788 in Ar-rawdah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $80.0 in Ar-rawdah. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $179, 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 $1,546 in Medellin and $2,080 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: $477 in Medellin versus $788 in Ar-rawdah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Ar-rawdah pay roughly 8% 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 $80.0 in Ar-rawdah. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,387 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 $1,031 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.