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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,333 in Ar-rawdah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,249 in Ar-rawdah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $3,165 in Ar-rawdah.

Living in Medellin is roughly 26% more expensive than in Ar-rawdah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Ar-rawdah is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$11.29 KWD 3.47

-28.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$63.7 KWD 19.58

-24.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$9.04 KWD 2.78

9.40%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 KWD 1.01

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 KWD 1.50

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$5.30 KWD 1.63

-40.94%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$0.71 KWD 0.22

169.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.31 KWD 0.10

387.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.60 KWD 0.49

-10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$1.53 KWD 0.47

62.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$2.00 KWD 0.61

-11.50%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.07 KWD 0.64

43.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$4.35 KWD 1.34

131.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$6.83 KWD 2.10

48.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$10.45 KWD 3.21

36.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$2.44 KWD 0.75

69.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.94 KWD 0.59

-17.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.81 KWD 0.56

24.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$1.50 KWD 0.46

50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$1.39 KWD 0.43

46.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$1.48 KWD 0.45

4.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$2.38 KWD 0.73

-50.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.60 KWD 0.18

118.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.32 KWD 1.02

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 KWD 0.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$2.80 KWD 0.86

39.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.82 KWD 0.25

48.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$4.82 KWD 1.48

-72.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$3.19 KWD 0.98

-31.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$16.00 KWD 4.92

-45.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$0.33 KWD 0.10

315.15%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$21.1K KWD 6,487

31.87%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$20.4K KWD 6,255

75.74%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$66.2 KWD 20.33

167.95%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$22.53 KWD 6.92

-38.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$29.99 KWD 9.21

-0.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$102 KWD 31.20

-55.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$11.47 KWD 3.52

-42.02%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$300 KWD 92.2

170.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$9,436 KWD 2,900

-2.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$37.81 KWD 11.62

136.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$39.84 KWD 12.24

48.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$99.8 KWD 30.66

38.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$88.9 KWD 27.32

14.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$737 KWD 226

44.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$545 KWD 167

21.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$1,847 KWD 567

2.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$1,320 KWD 406

-22.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,642 KWD 505

1.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.53

67.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ar-rawdah: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $737 in Ar-rawdah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $64.0 in Ar-rawdah. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $189, 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

Ar-rawdah wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ar-rawdah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $2,000 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $737 in Ar-rawdah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $1,333 in Ar-rawdah – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,333 in Ar-rawdah versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ar-rawdah but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ar-rawdah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ar-rawdah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,333 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ar-rawdah 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 Ar-rawdah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.