Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jeddah

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeddah: $1,360 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Jeddah
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Jeddah Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Jeddah

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,360

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Jeddah

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Jeddah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $1,360 in Jeddah, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Jeddah $1,360

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $2,168 in Jeddah, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Jeddah $2,168

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $2,975 in Jeddah, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Jeddah $2,975

Medellin costs about 17% more than Jeddah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Jeddah sit above the global median – Medellin by 19%, Jeddah by 2%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

$6.04 SAR 22.68

32.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.3K

$79.8 SAR 300

-41.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$8.75 SAR 32.85

7.77%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 SAR 9.11

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 SAR 9.88

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,277

$3.77 SAR 14.16

-22.81%

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

$1.75 COP 5,585

$0.97 SAR 3.65

80.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,218

$0.24 SAR 0.90

450.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

$1.67 SAR 6.28

-15.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$1.33 SAR 4.99

83.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

$2.37 SAR 8.89

-31.22%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

$2.48 SAR 9.31

13.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

$6.36 SAR 23.89

52.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$8.00 SAR 30.02

16.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

$13.31 SAR 49.98

1.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$2.10 SAR 7.90

90.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

$1.77 SAR 6.63

-16.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

$1.54 SAR 5.80

37.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

$1.69 SAR 6.36

33.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

$1.13 SAR 4.26

69.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

$1.29 SAR 4.85

25.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

$1.12 SAR 4.22

2.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

$0.50 SAR 1.87

152.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.23 SAR 15.90

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 SAR 6.92

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 SAR 9.70

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$6.86 SAR 25.77

-44.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

$0.89 SAR 3.35

31.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

$55.5 SAR 208

35.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,056

$3.11 SAR 11.69

-59.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,531

$1.77 SAR 6.65

15.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

$14.12 SAR 53.0

-41.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,046

$0.59 SAR 2.21

115.25%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

$47.7K SAR 179.0K

-43.82%

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

$34.4K COP 109.6M

$21.4K SAR 80.4K

60.63%

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

$162 COP 516.9K

$90.3 SAR 339

79.59%

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

$39.04 SAR 147

-66.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

$67.9 SAR 255

-58.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.2K

$79.6 SAR 299

-44.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.0K

$38.23 SAR 144

-57.28%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$12.04 SAR 45.22

-49.42%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$757 SAR 2,841

1.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

$16.3K SAR 61.1K

-45.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

$73.8 SAR 277

15.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

$56.0 SAR 210

2.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

$101 SAR 380

30.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

$94.3 SAR 354

1.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$790 SAR 2,966

30.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$535 SAR 2,009

12.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

$1,418 SAR 5,323

27.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$817 SAR 3,070

21.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

$1,777 SAR 6,673

120.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

$1,143 SAR 4,291

43.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$1,646 SAR 6,180

-61.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.39

102.97%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Jeddah: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Jeddah

$535 38.8% 11.5% $69

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Jeddah

$201 14.6% 30.5% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Jeddah

$197 14.3% 3% $6.2

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Jeddah

$146 10.6% 12.1% $20

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Jeddah

$125 9% 25% $42

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Jeddah

$71 5.2% 22.2% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Jeddah

$104 7.5% 83.6% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $790 in Jeddah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 163% higher in Jeddah, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $80.0 in Jeddah. Groceries tell a different story – $288 in Medellin vs $201 in Jeddah – so Jeddah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇸🇦 Jeddah

🕒 Local time

03:17 3:17 AM

11:17 11:17 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

3,430,697

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,574 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Jeddah 12,270 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Jeddah

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Jeddah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,589 in Medellin, $1,360 in Jeddah – roughly 17% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $2,040 in Jeddah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jeddah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $80.0 in Jeddah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Medellin and $1,360 in Jeddah. That's a gap of about 17%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Jeddah, where all-in costs run around $1,360, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Jeddah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,360 in Jeddah to $1,589 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Jeddah. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.