Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dhahran

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhahran: $1,373 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Dhahran
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Dhahran Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Dhahran

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,373

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Dhahran

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 Dhahran actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,373 in Dhahran, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Dhahran $1,373

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,761 in Dhahran, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Dhahran $1,761

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,149 in Dhahran, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Dhahran $2,149

Medellin costs about 19% more than Dhahran, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$5.41 SAR 20.31

49.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$39.83 SAR 149

18.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$6.46 SAR 24.24

47.06%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 SAR 7.19

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 SAR 6.09

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$3.82 SAR 14.35

-21.20%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.69 SAR 2.57

160.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.20 SAR 0.75

605.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.56 SAR 5.86

-3.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.94 SAR 3.51

153.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.99 SAR 7.47

-11.06%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$3.91 SAR 14.67

-26.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$8.66 SAR 32.51

17.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$11.22 SAR 42.12

-12.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$13.79 SAR 51.7

1.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.09 SAR 7.83

89.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.44 SAR 5.40

7.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$1.81 SAR 6.81

20.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.75 SAR 6.58

24.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.47 SAR 5.53

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$0.97 SAR 3.63

63.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$1.98 SAR 7.45

-41.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.85 SAR 3.17

45.88%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.72 SAR 17.70

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 SAR 6.13

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 SAR 9.03

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$5.51 SAR 20.68

-28.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.90 SAR 3.37

30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$55.6 SAR 209

39.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.37 SAR 5.15

-7.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$3.30 SAR 12.38

-37.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$9.26 SAR 34.75

-7.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$0.63 SAR 2.38

114.29%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$36.3K SAR 136.4K

-6.27%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$21.6K SAR 81.1K

60.43%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$61.2 SAR 230

177.12%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$43.31 SAR 163

-68.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$65.9 SAR 247

-57.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$195 SAR 733

-77.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$95.1 SAR 357

-81.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$10.51 SAR 39.44

-34.25%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$66.2 SAR 248

1104.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$13.6K SAR 51.0K

-32.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$50.7 SAR 190

67.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$42.77 SAR 161

35.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$77.0 SAR 289

75.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$90.4 SAR 339

8.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$366 SAR 1,375

229.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$449 SAR 1,683

43.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$2,804 SAR 10.5K

-76.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.5

143.11%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Dhahran: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Dhahran

$449 32.7% 30.1% $193

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Dhahran

$232 16.9% 22% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Dhahran

$170 12.4% 19.3% $41

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Dhahran

$112 8.2% 33.9% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Dhahran

$117 8.6% 30.5% $52

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Dhahran

$77 5.6% 17.7% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Dhahran

$216 15.8% 276% $159

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $366 in Dhahran. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Dhahran are about 4.3 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $40 in Dhahran. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $232 – making Dhahran the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇸🇦 Dhahran

🕒 Local time

07:28 7:28 AM

15:28 3:28 PM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

120,521

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.19 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Dhahran 13,140 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Dhahran

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 Dhahran: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 19% more than Dhahran, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,060 in Dhahran. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dhahran, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $366 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,373 in Dhahran. That makes Dhahran about 16% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 28% less in Dhahran. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,373 in Dhahran. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Dhahran – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Dhahran is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 16% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.