Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mecca Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mecca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $975 in Mecca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,477 in Mecca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,980 in Mecca.

Living in Medellin is roughly 68% more expensive than in Mecca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Mecca is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$4.57 SAR 17.15

75.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$27.05 SAR 102

78.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$6.94 SAR 26.05

35.73%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 SAR 5.81

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 SAR 5.79

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.61 SAR 9.82

12.64%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.71 SAR 2.67

161.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.23 SAR 0.86

534.78%

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

$1.67 SAR 6.26

-13.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.95 SAR 3.58

152.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$2.12 SAR 7.95

-19.81%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.35 SAR 8.81

22.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$6.26 SAR 23.51

60.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$8.05 SAR 30.22

23.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$12.83 SAR 48.18

10.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.01 SAR 7.55

98.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.63 SAR 6.10

-3.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.58 SAR 5.93

36.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.68 SAR 6.32

36.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.11 SAR 4.17

80.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.36 SAR 5.10

11.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.04 SAR 3.91

15.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.54 SAR 2.04

137.04%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.18 SAR 15.71

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 SAR 8.14

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$6.56 SAR 24.65

-41.46%

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

$1.35 SAR 5.06

-7.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.88 SAR 7.07

-30.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.71 SAR 6.41

26.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$13.35 SAR 50.2

-37.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$0.59 SAR 2.22

130.51%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$48.7K SAR 183.0K

-43.61%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$20.8K SAR 78.0K

76.03%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$74.9 SAR 281

125.23%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$35.05 SAR 132

-61.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$67.7 SAR 254

-58.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$77.3 SAR 290

-40.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$33.94 SAR 127

-49.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$12.02 SAR 45.15

-44.68%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$397 SAR 1,491

102.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$4,573 SAR 17.2K

100.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$22.73 SAR 85.4

284.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$60.8 SAR 228

-2.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$49.95 SAR 188

178.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$51.3 SAR 193

98.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$588 SAR 2,209

82.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$318 SAR 1,194

105.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,496 SAR 5,617

28.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$507 SAR 1,905

106.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$6,343 SAR 23.8K

-35.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$2,285 SAR 8,583

-25.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$1,097 SAR 4,121

-40.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.25

108.38%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mecca: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $588 in Mecca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mecca pays 68% 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 $27.00 in Mecca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $193 per month, with Mecca 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 Mecca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mecca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 68% lower in Mecca. 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 $588 in Mecca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $975 in Mecca – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $975 in Mecca versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mecca but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Mecca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mecca 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Mecca 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 Mecca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.