Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hafar Al Batin Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hafar Al Batin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,172 in Hafar Al Batin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,793 in Hafar Al Batin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,414 in Hafar Al Batin.

Living in Medellin is roughly 40% more expensive than in Hafar Al Batin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Hafar Al Batin is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$6.38 SAR 23.96

26.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$37.50 SAR 141

28.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$7.96 SAR 29.91

18.34%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 SAR 5.96

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 SAR 7.50

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.34 SAR 12.54

-11.98%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.85 SAR 3.20

118.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.27 SAR 1.00

440.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.94 SAR 7.30

-25.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.21 SAR 4.54

98.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$2.15 SAR 8.06

-20.93%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.38 SAR 8.94

21.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$7.60 SAR 28.53

32.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$7.92 SAR 29.73

25.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$12.73 SAR 47.80

11.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.15 SAR 8.08

85.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.70 SAR 6.38

-7.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.56 SAR 5.87

37.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.62 SAR 6.08

41.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.13 SAR 4.23

76.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.30 SAR 4.89

16.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.19 SAR 4.47

0.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.56 SAR 2.10

128.57%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.82 SAR 10.58

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 SAR 7.78

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$6.58 SAR 24.72

-41.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.99 SAR 3.71

26.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$32.25 SAR 121

141.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$3.32 SAR 12.47

-60.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.76 SAR 6.61

23.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$14.58 SAR 54.8

-43.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$0.62 SAR 2.33

119.35%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$50.7K SAR 190.4K

-45.82%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$23.1K SAR 86.6K

58.49%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$108 SAR 406

56.05%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$30.43 SAR 114

-55.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$66.9 SAR 251

-57.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$77.0 SAR 289

-40.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$38.40 SAR 144

-55.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$14.13 SAR 53.1

-52.94%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$392 SAR 1,471

105.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$6,339 SAR 23.8K

44.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$48.58 SAR 182

79.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$63.4 SAR 238

-6.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$106 SAR 397

31.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$85.9 SAR 323

18.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$538 SAR 2,020

99.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$351 SAR 1,318

86.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$891 SAR 3,345

116.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$632 SAR 2,372

65.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$2,623 SAR 9,852

57.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,195 SAR 4,488

42.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$1,417 SAR 5,320

-53.76%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Hafar Al Batin: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $538 in Hafar Al Batin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hafar Al Batin pays 116% 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 Hafar Al Batin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $203 per month, with Hafar Al Batin 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 Hafar Al Batin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hafar Al Batin wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hafar Al Batin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 116% lower in Hafar Al Batin. 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $538 in Hafar Al Batin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $392 in Hafar Al Batin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,172 in Hafar Al Batin versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hafar Al Batin but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Hafar Al Batin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hafar Al Batin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,172 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hafar Al Batin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Hafar Al Batin 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 Hafar Al Batin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.