Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dammam

For one person, living is cheaper in Dammam: $1,217 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Dammam
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Dammam Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Dammam

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,217

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Dammam

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Dammam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $1,217 in Dammam.

Medellin $1,692
Dammam $1,217

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $1,855 in Dammam.

Medellin $2,471
Dammam $1,855

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $2,492 in Dammam.

Medellin $3,249
Dammam $2,492

Living in Medellin is roughly 39% more expensive than in Dammam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Dammam is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$6.62 SAR 24.84

25.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$39.86 SAR 150

16.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$7.95 SAR 29.82

19.12%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 SAR 6.71

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.65

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$3.68 SAR 13.80

-14.95%

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

$1.77 COP 5,728

$0.76 SAR 2.84

132.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,620

$0.30 SAR 1.14

373.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,971

$1.70 SAR 6.39

-10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,431

$1.02 SAR 3.82

124.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,308

$2.32 SAR 8.72

-16.38%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,945

$2.55 SAR 9.57

20.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$6.78 SAR 25.45

47.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$7.55 SAR 28.35

38.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$13.23 SAR 49.65

5.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$2.30 SAR 8.63

76.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,957

$1.62 SAR 6.07

-5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,825

$1.56 SAR 5.84

34.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,439

$1.56 SAR 5.87

46.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,841

$1.29 SAR 4.85

63.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,543

$1.34 SAR 5.01

27.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,795

$1.32 SAR 4.94

-11.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,125

$0.64 SAR 2.40

146.88%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.92 SAR 10.94

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 SAR 6.78

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.88

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$7.03 SAR 26.39

-44.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.6K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,714

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,796

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,826

$1.04 SAR 3.91

13.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

$40.48 SAR 152

88.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,860

$2.62 SAR 9.82

-30.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,906

$1.93 SAR 7.23

10.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$13.44 SAR 50.5

-39.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,136

$0.61 SAR 2.28

109.84%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$26.2K SAR 98.5K

31.25%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$23.1K SAR 86.7K

47.74%

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

$178 COP 576.4K

$104 SAR 390

71.24%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$34.20 SAR 128

-59.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$71.1 SAR 267

-56.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

$95.7 SAR 359

-56.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

$37.15 SAR 139

-54.78%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$14.68 SAR 55.1

-49.11%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$358 SAR 1,343

120.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$7,447 SAR 28.0K

65.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 280.0K

$56.4 SAR 212

53.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$62.4 SAR 234

-4.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.7K

$82.8 SAR 311

67.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.5K

$83.5 SAR 313

18.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$443 SAR 1,661

203.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$374 SAR 1,402

78.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$882 SAR 3,311

123.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$621 SAR 2,330

66.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

$1,763 SAR 6,616

132.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,082 SAR 4,061

79.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.42

147.51%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Dammam: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Dammam

$374 30.7% 44% $293

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Dammam

$199 16.4% 35.2% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Dammam

$209 17.2% 6% $13

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Dammam

$125 10.3% 27.5% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Dammam

$128 10.5% 25.5% $44

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Dammam

$57 4.7% 39.1% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Dammam

$125 10.3% 120% $68

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,341 in Medellin and $443 in Dammam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $40 in Dammam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $199 per month, with Dammam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇸🇦 Dammam

🕒 Local time

19:15 7:15 PM

03:15 3:15 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

903,312

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.238 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,627 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.2 SAR (1 SAR = 0.238 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Dammam 13,130 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Dammam

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Dammam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dammam is about 28% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,538 in Medellin and $1,826 in Dammam 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: $1,341 in Medellin versus $443 in Dammam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,692 per month in Medellin versus $1,217 in Dammam – Dammam is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Dammam runs roughly 47% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,217 in Dammam versus $1,692 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dammam but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Dammam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dammam is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Dammam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.