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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,211 in Hafar Al Batin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,799 in Hafar Al Batin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $2,388 in Hafar Al Batin.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 15% less than in Hafar Al Batin, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Hafar Al Batin 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$5.38 SAR 20.21

11.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.9K

$27.02 SAR 101

21.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.5K

$6.56 SAR 24.61

13.11%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 SAR 5.97

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,675

$3.41 SAR 12.81

-51.61%

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

$1.07 COP 3,673

$0.69 SAR 2.60

55.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,614

$0.24 SAR 0.91

216.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,925

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,607

$1.96 SAR 7.36

-46.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,492

$0.98 SAR 3.69

33.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,604

$2.37 SAR 8.89

-43.46%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,543

$2.48 SAR 9.32

-11.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.2K

$6.89 SAR 25.84

-35.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.6K

$7.38 SAR 27.69

-22.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.3K

$12.75 SAR 47.84

-33.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,046

$2.28 SAR 8.57

2.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,815

$1.66 SAR 6.22

-33.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,225

$1.68 SAR 6.29

-9.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,694

$1.63 SAR 6.12

-15.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,962

$1.23 SAR 4.63

-6.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,055

$1.33 SAR 4.98

-11.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,893

$1.24 SAR 4.65

-32.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,940

$0.59 SAR 2.21

45.76%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.74 SAR 10.28

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.81

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,776

$7.11 SAR 26.68

-68.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.9K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,121

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,508

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,729

$1.08 SAR 4.07

-26.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 140.4K

$40.28 SAR 151

1.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,038

$2.68 SAR 10.06

-45.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,587

$1.83 SAR 6.88

4.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.7K

$13.06 SAR 49.03

-40.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,474

$0.63 SAR 2.36

60.32%

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

$17.7K COP 60.7M

$27.1K SAR 101.6K

-34.79%

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

$26.5K COP 90.9M

$22.3K SAR 83.7K

18.63%

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

$81.1 COP 278.8K

$106 SAR 399

-23.70%

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

$9.43 COP 32.4K

$33.56 SAR 126

-71.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 82.0K

$73.0 SAR 274

-67.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.4K

$87.2 SAR 327

-70.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.3K

$35.56 SAR 133

-47.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.1K

$15.67 SAR 58.8

-73.90%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$350 SAR 1,313

-10.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.7M

$6,958 SAR 26.1K

-13.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 205.2K

$59.2 SAR 222

0.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.9K

$61.5 SAR 231

-47.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 347.9K

$80.7 SAR 303

25.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 361.3K

$83.0 SAR 311

26.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$439 SAR 1,647

10.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$388 SAR 1,458

-6.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$866 SAR 3,250

-4.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$618 SAR 2,319

18.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$2,077 SAR 7,795

44.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$1,225 SAR 4,599

7.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

$1,386 SAR 5,203

-60.27%

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 Hafar Al Batin: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $439 in Hafar Al Batin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hafar Al Batin pays 152% 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 $27.00 in Hafar Al Batin. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $199, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Hafar Al Batin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 152% 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: $485 in Medellin versus $439 in Hafar Al Batin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $315 in Medellin versus $350 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 5% higher in Hafar Al Batin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,211 in Hafar Al Batin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Hafar Al Batin. 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 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Hafar Al Batin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.