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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,038 in Ha'il.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,487 in Ha'il.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $1,937 in Ha'il.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 1% less than in Ha'il, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Ha'il 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$6.61 SAR 24.80

-9.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.5K

$25.32 SAR 95.0

29.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.4K

$6.90 SAR 25.88

7.54%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 SAR 4.10

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 SAR 8.18

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,659

$3.25 SAR 12.19

-49.23%

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

$1.07 COP 3,663

$1.00 SAR 3.74

7.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,607

$0.32 SAR 1.19

137.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,908

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,597

$1.71 SAR 6.42

-38.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,479

$0.87 SAR 3.25

50.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,591

$1.90 SAR 7.15

-29.47%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,521

$1.87 SAR 7.00

17.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.1K

$6.52 SAR 24.45

-32.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.5K

$8.87 SAR 33.27

-35.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.2K

$8.20 SAR 30.76

3.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,023

$1.51 SAR 5.65

54.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,804

$1.57 SAR 5.88

-29.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,210

$1.25 SAR 4.69

21.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,680

$1.94 SAR 7.28

-29.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,950

$1.36 SAR 5.12

-15.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,043

$1.57 SAR 5.90

-24.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,885

$1.10 SAR 4.12

-23.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,931

$0.45 SAR 1.70

91.11%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.45 SAR 9.21

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 SAR 7.58

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,753

$6.83 SAR 25.65

-66.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.8K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,109

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,484

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,721

$1.05 SAR 3.94

-24.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

$40.71 SAR 153

0.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,023

$2.74 SAR 10.28

-46.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,568

$1.90 SAR 7.12

1.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.6K

$13.54 SAR 50.8

-42.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,464

$0.63 SAR 2.37

60.32%

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

$17.7K COP 60.5M

$26.5K SAR 99.3K

-33.27%

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

$26.5K COP 90.7M

$22.2K SAR 83.1K

19.43%

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

$81.1 COP 277.9K

$54.1 SAR 203

49.80%

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

$9.43 COP 32.3K

$21.30 SAR 79.9

-55.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 81.8K

$47.32 SAR 178

-49.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.1K

$65.5 SAR 246

-60.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.1K

$35.00 SAR 131

-46.54%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.0K

$14.68 SAR 55.1

-72.14%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$348 SAR 1,305

-9.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.6M

$6,962 SAR 26.1K

-13.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 204.6K

$59.4 SAR 223

0.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.6K

$61.4 SAR 230

-47.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 346.9K

$77.8 SAR 292

30.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 360.3K

$83.2 SAR 312

26.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$493 SAR 1,850

-1.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$325 SAR 1,220

12.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$444 SAR 1,667

86.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$353 SAR 1,324

106.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$2,398 SAR 8,999

24.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$1,343 SAR 5,041

-2.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

$1,073 SAR 4,027

-48.68%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Ha'il: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $493 in Ha'il. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ha'il pays 95% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

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 $178 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

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

On paper, Ha'il earns 95% 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: $485 in Medellin versus $493 in Ha'il. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $315 in Medellin versus $348 in Ha'il. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ha'il pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,038 in Ha'il, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ha'il. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,028 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Ha'il. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.