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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,011 in Ha'il.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,581 in Ha'il.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,152 in Ha'il.

Living in Medellin is roughly 66% more expensive than in Ha'il, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Ha'il is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$5.21 SAR 19.57

53.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$37.78 SAR 142

26.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$6.12 SAR 22.98

61.60%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 SAR 4.44

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 SAR 7.52

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$2.63 SAR 9.87

19.01%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$0.61 SAR 2.29

213.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.24 SAR 0.89

529.17%

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

$1.72 SAR 6.45

-16.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$0.84 SAR 3.16

196.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.89 SAR 7.10

-6.35%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$1.94 SAR 7.27

52.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$6.82 SAR 25.63

47.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$8.52 SAR 32.01

18.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$8.27 SAR 31.06

72.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$1.54 SAR 5.79

168.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.57 SAR 5.90

2.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.25 SAR 4.68

80.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$2.04 SAR 7.68

10.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$1.32 SAR 4.94

54.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$1.61 SAR 6.05

-4.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.14 SAR 4.29

2.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.48 SAR 1.82

172.92%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.74 SAR 10.29

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 SAR 6.34

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 SAR 8.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$6.47 SAR 24.29

-39.72%

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

$1.10 SAR 4.14

10.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$36.42 SAR 137

120.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$2.87 SAR 10.77

-54.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$1.82 SAR 6.82

20.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$13.42 SAR 50.4

-35.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$0.61 SAR 2.27

124.59%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$45.0K SAR 169.0K

-38.16%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$21.6K SAR 81.3K

65.24%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$54.2 SAR 204

226.94%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$21.14 SAR 79.4

-34.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$46.43 SAR 174

-35.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$66.4 SAR 249

-32.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$36.77 SAR 138

-53.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$14.92 SAR 56.0

-55.43%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$349 SAR 1,311

132.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$6,537 SAR 24.5K

40.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$50.8 SAR 191

76.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$59.0 SAR 221

0.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$97.2 SAR 365

42.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$89.9 SAR 337

13.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$243 SAR 912

337.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$344 SAR 1,292

92.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$366 SAR 1,374

416.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$540 SAR 2,030

90.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$2,363 SAR 8,874

77.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,352 SAR 5,076

23.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,084 SAR 4,070

-37.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.47

100.00%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ha'il: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $243 in Ha'il. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ha'il pays 60% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $38.00 in Ha'il for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 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 66% 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, salaries run 60% lower in Ha'il. 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $243 in Ha'il. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $349 in Ha'il. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,011 in Ha'il versus $1,681 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 $1,011 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 66% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.