Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ha'il Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ha'il

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,024 in Ha'il.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,474 in Ha'il.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,925 in Ha'il.

Living in Medellin is roughly 1% more expensive than Ha'il, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Ha'il 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$6.83 SAR 25.60

-13.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$25.28 SAR 94.8

29.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$7.19 SAR 26.97

0.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 SAR 3.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 SAR 8.17

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$3.29 SAR 12.35

-48.33%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$1.04 SAR 3.92

5.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.32 SAR 1.20

125.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.72 SAR 6.45

-38.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.84 SAR 3.17

48.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.83 SAR 6.85

-24.04%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.97 SAR 7.40

14.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$6.67 SAR 25.03

-35.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$8.91 SAR 33.42

-34.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$8.23 SAR 30.85

7.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.56 SAR 5.85

43.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.50 SAR 5.62

-28.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.30 SAR 4.86

17.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.96 SAR 7.34

-30.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.31 SAR 4.90

-13.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.63 SAR 6.13

-31.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.06 SAR 3.96

-19.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.48 SAR 1.82

89.58%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.57 SAR 9.65

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.92

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$7.20 SAR 26.98

-67.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$1.04 SAR 3.91

-24.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$39.36 SAR 148

4.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$2.69 SAR 10.08

-46.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$1.90 SAR 7.11

0.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$13.46 SAR 50.5

-40.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$0.63 SAR 2.36

49.21%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$26.6K SAR 99.6K

-32.50%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$22.1K SAR 82.9K

21.22%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$52.5 SAR 197

60.02%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$21.05 SAR 78.9

-54.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$47.26 SAR 177

-48.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$67.0 SAR 251

-61.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$35.14 SAR 132

-45.82%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$14.69 SAR 55.1

-73.32%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$360 SAR 1,350

-14.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$6,874 SAR 25.8K

-13.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$60.3 SAR 226

-3.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$61.3 SAR 230

-48.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$78.1 SAR 293

27.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$83.1 SAR 311

29.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$483 SAR 1,813

0.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$329 SAR 1,234

11.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$448 SAR 1,680

84.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$356 SAR 1,337

100.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$2,369 SAR 8,883

23.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,314 SAR 4,926

7.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$1,052 SAR 3,944

-48.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.42

203.85%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ha'il: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $483 in Ha'il. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ha'il pays 93% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $25.00 in Ha'il for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $179 per month, with Ha'il cheaper across the board.

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 Ha'il: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ha'il wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ha'il the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Ha'il earns 93% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $487 in Medellin versus $483 in Ha'il. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Medellin versus $360 in Ha'il. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,024 in Ha'il versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ha'il but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ha'il the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ha'il delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,024 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ha'il hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Ha'il 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 Ha'il gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.