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: $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,225 in Hafar Al Batin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,809 in Hafar Al Batin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $2,392 in Hafar Al Batin.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 16% 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

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$5.42 SAR 20.33

9.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$26.40 SAR 99.0

24.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$6.38 SAR 23.91

12.85%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 SAR 5.92

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$3.44 SAR 12.91

-50.58%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.70 SAR 2.63

57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.24 SAR 0.90

200.00%

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

$2.02 SAR 7.59

-47.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.00 SAR 3.75

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$2.34 SAR 8.79

-40.60%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$2.45 SAR 9.17

-7.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$6.82 SAR 25.58

-36.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$7.58 SAR 28.41

-22.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$13.02 SAR 48.83

-32.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.27 SAR 8.52

-1.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.58 SAR 5.92

-31.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.69 SAR 6.32

-9.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.56 SAR 5.87

-12.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.29 SAR 4.85

-12.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.34 SAR 5.01

-16.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.19 SAR 4.45

-28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.59 SAR 2.21

54.24%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.77 SAR 10.40

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 SAR 6.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.81

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$7.06 SAR 26.46

-67.00%

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 3.90

-24.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$40.53 SAR 152

1.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$2.70 SAR 10.12

-46.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$1.86 SAR 6.97

2.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$13.52 SAR 50.7

-40.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$0.66 SAR 2.47

42.42%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$26.8K SAR 100.5K

-33.16%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$22.7K SAR 85.0K

18.17%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$106 SAR 396

-20.55%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$33.36 SAR 125

-71.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$71.8 SAR 269

-66.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$88.4 SAR 331

-70.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$36.16 SAR 136

-47.35%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$15.46 SAR 58.0

-74.64%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$346 SAR 1,298

-11.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$6,857 SAR 25.7K

-13.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$60.1 SAR 225

-3.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$59.9 SAR 225

-46.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$79.7 SAR 299

25.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$81.1 SAR 304

32.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$432 SAR 1,620

12.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$385 SAR 1,445

-4.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$835 SAR 3,132

-1.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$616 SAR 2,308

16.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$2,329 SAR 8,734

25.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,345 SAR 5,043

4.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$1,425 SAR 5,342

-61.71%

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 Hafar Al Batin: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $432 in Hafar Al Batin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hafar Al Batin pays 161% 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 $26.00 in Hafar Al Batin. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $201, 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, Hafar Al Batin earns 161% 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 $432 in Hafar Al Batin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Medellin versus $346 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 6% higher in Hafar Al Batin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,225 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 $1,034 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.