Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Qatif

For one person, living is cheaper in Qatif: $1,102 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Qatif
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Qatif Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Qatif

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,102

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Qatif

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 Qatif actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,102 in Qatif, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Qatif $1,102

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,640 in Qatif, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Qatif $1,640

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,178 in Qatif, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Qatif $2,178

Medellin costs about 49% more than Qatif, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Qatif is 19% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$3.50 SAR 13.15

131.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$34.91 SAR 131

34.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$6.52 SAR 24.48

45.71%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 SAR 7.04

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SAR 8.39

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$3.10 SAR 11.62

-2.90%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$0.77 SAR 2.89

133.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.19 SAR 0.72

642.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.78 SAR 6.68

-15.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$0.91 SAR 3.42

161.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$1.92 SAR 7.20

-7.81%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$2.10 SAR 7.89

37.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$5.90 SAR 22.14

72.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$7.90 SAR 29.64

24.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$12.64 SAR 47.44

10.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.29 SAR 8.58

73.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$1.71 SAR 6.41

-9.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$1.59 SAR 5.95

37.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$0.67 SAR 2.52

225.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$1.08 SAR 4.05

81.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$1.13 SAR 4.26

40.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$0.95 SAR 3.58

21.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.55 SAR 2.07

125.45%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.60 SAR 9.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 SAR 5.64

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 SAR 8.31

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$6.26 SAR 23.48

-36.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$1.09 SAR 4.09

7.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$36.50 SAR 137

111.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$2.46 SAR 9.22

-48.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$0.55 SAR 2.07

272.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$13.24 SAR 49.70

-35.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$0.61 SAR 2.29

121.31%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$29.1K SAR 109.1K

17.20%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$20.3K SAR 76.3K

70.56%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$104 SAR 388

63.90%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$32.15 SAR 121

-57.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$59.3 SAR 222

-52.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$79.4 SAR 298

-44.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$21.38 SAR 80.2

-19.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$13.07 SAR 49.03

-47.13%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$264 SAR 992

201.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$7,860 SAR 29.5K

15.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$32.16 SAR 121

163.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$21.10 SAR 79.2

174.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$95.5 SAR 358

41.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$90.7 SAR 340

7.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$586 SAR 2,199

106.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$374 SAR 1,402

71.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$807 SAR 3,029

151.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$578 SAR 2,171

74.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$943 SAR 3,537

342.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$796 SAR 2,987

140.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$2,257 SAR 8,471

-70.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.5

98.91%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Qatif: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Qatif

$374 33.9% 41.8% $268

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Qatif

$185 16.8% 37.6% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Qatif

$195 17.7% 7.7% $16

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Qatif

$89 8% 47.8% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Qatif

$108 9.8% 36.2% $61

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Qatif

$46 4.2% 50.8% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Qatif

$106 9.6% 83.5% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $586 in Qatif. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Qatif are about 3.4 times higher, 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 in Medellin versus $35 in Qatif. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $185 – making Qatif the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇸🇦 Qatif

🕒 Local time

18:14 6:14 PM

02:14 2:14 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

87,332

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.19 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Qatif 13,120 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Qatif

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 Qatif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 49%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,653 in Qatif. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Qatif, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $586 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $35 in Qatif. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,102 in Qatif. That makes Qatif about 33% cheaper.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,102 in Qatif, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Qatif – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Qatif is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 33% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.