Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Khafji Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Khafji

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $661 in Khafji.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,044 in Khafji.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,426 in Khafji.

Living in Medellin is roughly 148% more expensive than in Khafji, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Khafji is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$3.23 SAR 12.12

148.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$34.81 SAR 131

38.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$5.20 SAR 19.53

81.15%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 SAR 3.65

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 SAR 5.93

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.96 SAR 11.12

-0.68%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.77 SAR 2.90

141.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.19 SAR 0.73

668.42%

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

$1.80 SAR 6.75

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.33 SAR 4.98

80.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.89 SAR 7.09

-10.05%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.20 SAR 8.27

31.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$7.28 SAR 27.35

38.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$7.93 SAR 29.79

25.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$12.91 SAR 48.47

9.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.23 SAR 8.37

78.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.63 SAR 6.13

-3.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.63 SAR 6.13

31.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.61 SAR 6.04

42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.12 SAR 4.22

78.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.15 SAR 4.33

31.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.27 SAR 4.78

-5.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.57 SAR 2.14

124.56%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.05 SAR 15.21

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 SAR 5.63

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 SAR 8.00

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$7.78 SAR 29.23

-50.64%

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

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$2.72 SAR 10.20

-51.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$2.62 SAR 9.83

-17.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$13.25 SAR 49.76

-37.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$0.61 SAR 2.29

122.95%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$66.2K SAR 248.5K

-58.48%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$21.5K SAR 80.8K

69.79%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$131 SAR 490

29.29%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$32.66 SAR 123

-58.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$62.7 SAR 236

-54.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$13.20 SAR 49.58

-49.62%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$135 SAR 508

494.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$3,942 SAR 14.8K

133.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$42.63 SAR 160

104.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$49.91 SAR 187

18.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$98.1 SAR 368

41.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$91.2 SAR 343

11.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$678 SAR 2,546

57.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.9

85.42%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Khafji: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $678 in Khafji. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $35.00 in Khafji for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $201 per month, with Khafji 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 Khafji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Khafji is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 148% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $992 in Khafji to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,071 in Medellin versus $678 in Khafji. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $135 in Khafji. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Khafji – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $661 in Khafji versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Khafji but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Khafji the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Khafji is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Khafji gentler on the wallet – expenses run 148% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.