Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tabuk

For one person, living is cheaper in Tabuk: $1,178 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Tabuk
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Tabuk Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Tabuk

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,178

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Tabuk

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $1,178 in Tabuk, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Tabuk $1,178

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,766 in Tabuk, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Tabuk $1,766

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $2,354 in Tabuk, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Tabuk $2,354

Medellin costs about 44% more than Tabuk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Tabuk is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$7.33 SAR 27.50

13.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.3K

$31.31 SAR 118

48.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$7.55 SAR 28.34

25.43%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 SAR 5.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 SAR 6.01

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$3.13 SAR 11.76

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

$1.77 COP 5,705

$0.73 SAR 2.73

142.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,601

$0.26 SAR 0.97

446.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,950

$1.89 SAR 7.11

-19.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,401

$0.91 SAR 3.40

151.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,282

$2.68 SAR 10.05

-27.61%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,905

$2.95 SAR 11.06

4.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

$12.63 SAR 47.41

-20.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$6.74 SAR 25.29

55.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

$12.74 SAR 47.81

9.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$1.95 SAR 7.31

107.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,937

$1.67 SAR 6.28

-8.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,797

$1.81 SAR 6.78

16.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,409

$2.14 SAR 8.04

7.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,813

$1.69 SAR 6.36

24.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,521

$2.09 SAR 7.86

-18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,780

$1.89 SAR 7.09

-38.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,104

$0.60 SAR 2.24

163.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.72

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.86

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.80

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$6.62 SAR 24.86

-40.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.4K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,690

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,760

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,811

$1.05 SAR 3.94

12.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.4K

$36.23 SAR 136

110.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,836

$2.70 SAR 10.14

-32.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,878

$1.69 SAR 6.34

26.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

$14.98 SAR 56.2

-45.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,119

$0.65 SAR 2.44

96.92%

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

$27.0K SAR 101.5K

27.37%

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

$34.1K COP 110.3M

$20.4K SAR 76.6K

67.22%

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

$178 COP 574.1K

$104 SAR 392

70.13%

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

$13.89 COP 44.9K

$36.05 SAR 135

-61.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.3K

$75.8 SAR 284

-59.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.5K

$79.5 SAR 298

-47.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.3K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$13.35 SAR 50.1

-44.04%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$428 SAR 1,605

84.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$8,508 SAR 31.9K

44.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.9K

$40.00 SAR 150

115.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.4K

$47.44 SAR 178

24.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.9K

$90.1 SAR 338

53.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.2K

$91.1 SAR 342

8.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$309 SAR 1,159

334.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$338 SAR 1,270

97.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$556 SAR 2,087

255.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$567 SAR 2,128

82.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$1,966 SAR 7,379

108.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,192 SAR 4,474

62.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$1,716 SAR 6,442

-62.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.54

97.47%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Tabuk: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Tabuk

$338 28.7% 49.3% $329

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Tabuk

$222 18.8% 27.8% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Tabuk

$216 18.4% 2.7% $6.1

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Tabuk

$123 10.4% 28.8% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Tabuk

$121 10.3% 29.8% $51

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Tabuk

$52 4.4% 44.8% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Tabuk

$106 9% 86.6% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $309 in Tabuk. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Tabuk are about 2.7 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 $31 in Tabuk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $222 – making Tabuk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇸🇦 Tabuk

🕒 Local time

21:53 9:53 PM

05:53 5:53 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

512,629

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,626 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 6, 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 Tabuk 11,800 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Tabuk

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 Tabuk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $1,767 in Tabuk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tabuk, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $309 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $31 in Tabuk. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $1,178 in Tabuk. That makes Tabuk about 30% cheaper.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tabuk, where all-in costs run around $1,178, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Tabuk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Tabuk is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 30% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.