Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Saham Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Saham

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $960 in Saham, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $1,432 in Saham, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $1,904 in Saham, rent included.

Medellin costs about 79% more than Saham, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Saham is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$5.32 OMR 2.05

50.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$33.16 OMR 12.77

45.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$7.96 OMR 3.07

22.74%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$4.90 OMR 1.89

-40.61%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$0.85 OMR 0.33

128.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.29 OMR 0.11

424.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$12.87 OMR 4.95

-75.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$13.25 OMR 5.10

-56.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$2.26 OMR 0.87

-39.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$1.24 OMR 0.48

92.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$1.91 OMR 0.73

-10.99%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$2.84 OMR 1.09

1.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$7.55 OMR 2.91

31.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$6.71 OMR 2.58

60.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$10.72 OMR 4.13

37.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$3.53 OMR 1.36

15.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$1.91 OMR 0.73

-17.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$2.30 OMR 0.89

-7.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$1.24 OMR 0.48

78.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$1.19 OMR 0.46

72.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$1.29 OMR 0.50

16.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$1.84 OMR 0.71

-35.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$0.62 OMR 0.24

87.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$6.60 OMR 2.54

-40.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$15.65 OMR 6.03

-7.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$5.56 OMR 2.14

-71.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$8.69 OMR 3.34

-67.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$3.21 OMR 1.24

-60.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$2.53 OMR 0.97

-17.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$7.76 OMR 2.99

11.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$0.59 OMR 0.23

120.34%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$25.9K OMR 9,975

6.74%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$22.3K OMR 8,593

59.10%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$170 OMR 65.4

3.66%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$31.30 OMR 12.05

-57.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$71.5 OMR 27.53

-58.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$10.29 OMR 3.96

-39.75%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$286 OMR 110

177.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$10.5K OMR 4,025

-13.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$57.3 OMR 22.07

49.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$43.21 OMR 16.64

35.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$91.6 OMR 35.25

48.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$94.1 OMR 36.21

9.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Saham: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $33.00 in Saham. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $284 – making Saham the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Saham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 79%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,574 per month in Medellin and $1,440 in Saham. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $33.00 in Saham. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Saham, where all-in costs run around $960, than in Medellin at $1,716. In Saham it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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 Saham. 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.