Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Qatif and Ibague

For one person, living is cheaper in Qatif: $1,102 a month against $1,131 in Ibague, rent and utilities included – about $350 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ibague outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

53

Cost of Living Index in Qatif
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Qatif Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Ibague
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Ibague Living Index

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Qatif

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,102

/mo nomad

Ibague

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Qatif and in Ibague

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Qatif and in Ibague actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,102 in Qatif versus $1,131 in Ibague.

Qatif $1,102
Ibague $1,131

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,640 in Qatif versus $1,734 in Ibague.

Qatif $1,640
Ibague $1,734

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,178 in Qatif versus $2,336 in Ibague.

Qatif $2,178
Ibague $2,336

Living in Qatif costs roughly 3% less than in Ibague, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Qatif 19% lower, Ibague 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.50 SAR 13.15

$7.94 COP 25.6K

-55.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.91 SAR 131

$42.40 COP 136.7K

-17.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 SAR 24.48

$7.87 COP 25.4K

-17.15%

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

$3.10 SAR 11.62

$1.60 COP 5,146

93.75%

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

$0.77 SAR 2.89

$1.13 COP 3,637

-31.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 SAR 0.72

$0.81 COP 2,603

-76.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.40 COP 4,511

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 COP 13.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

$1.09 COP 3,514

63.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 SAR 3.42

$2.48 COP 8,008

-63.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 SAR 7.20

$1.11 COP 3,581

72.97%

Eggs

$2.10 SAR 7.89

$2.17 COP 6,999

-3.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.90 SAR 22.14

$8.02 COP 25.8K

-26.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 SAR 29.64

$6.56 COP 21.2K

20.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 SAR 47.44

$9.94 COP 32.0K

27.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 SAR 8.58

$3.64 COP 11.7K

-37.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

$0.98 COP 3,168

74.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.95

$1.49 COP 4,812

6.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.67 SAR 2.52

$1.88 COP 6,055

-64.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 SAR 4.05

$0.79 COP 2,535

36.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 SAR 4.26

$0.74 COP 2,382

52.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 SAR 3.58

$0.81 COP 2,612

17.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.07

$1.14 COP 3,664

-51.75%

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)

$6.26 SAR 23.48

$4.47 COP 14.4K

40.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.61 COP 40.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,906

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 COP 10.6K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.09

$1.06 COP 3,430

2.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.50 SAR 137

$62.5 COP 201.5K

-41.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 SAR 9.22

$1.34 COP 4,316

83.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 SAR 2.07

$0.39 COP 1,245

41.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.24 SAR 49.70

$2.20 COP 7,086

501.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 SAR 2.29

$1.34 COP 4,305

-54.48%

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

$29.1K SAR 109.1K

$20.3K COP 65.4M

43.35%

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

$20.3K SAR 76.3K

$34.8K COP 112.3M

-41.61%

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

$104 SAR 388

$40.73 COP 131.3K

154.14%

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

$32.15 SAR 121

$9.67 COP 31.2K

232.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.3 SAR 222

$14.25 COP 45.9K

315.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.4 SAR 298

$27.79 COP 89.6K

185.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.38 SAR 80.2

Cinema Ticket

$13.07 SAR 49.03

$4.73 COP 15.3K

176.32%

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

$264 SAR 992

$554 COP 1.8M

-52.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,860 SAR 29.5K

$7,419 COP 23.9M

5.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.16 SAR 121

$25.35 COP 81.7K

26.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.10 SAR 79.2

$48.94 COP 157.8K

-56.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 SAR 358

$79.5 COP 256.4K

20.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.7 SAR 340

$105 COP 339.1K

-13.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 SAR 2,199

$726 COP 2.3M

-19.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 SAR 1,402

$478 COP 1.5M

-21.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$807 SAR 3,029

$1,424 COP 4.6M

-43.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 SAR 2,171

$782 COP 2.5M

-26.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$943 SAR 3,537

$2,179 COP 7.0M

-56.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$796 SAR 2,987

$1,720 COP 5.5M

-53.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,257 SAR 8,471

$620 COP 2.0M

264.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

12.81

-57.06%

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

Last update for Qatif: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ibague: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Qatif

$374 33.9%

Ibague

$478 42.3% 28% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Qatif

$195 17.7%

Ibague

$65 5.7% 66.8% $130

Groceries & Markets

Qatif

$185 16.8%

Ibague

$235 20.8% 26.8% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Qatif

$108 9.8%

Ibague

$117 10.3% 8.1% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Qatif

$106 9.6%

Ibague

$37 3.3% 64.7% $68

Eating Out

Qatif

$89 8%

Ibague

$129 11.4% 45.9% $41

Getting Around

Qatif

$46 4.2%

Ibague

$70 6.2% 52% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $586 in Qatif and $726 in Ibague. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Qatif pays about 3.6 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35 in Qatif vs $42 in Ibague for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $185 vs $235 per month, with Qatif cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Qatif

🇨🇴 Ibague

🕒 Local time

23:55 11:55 PM

15:55 3:55 PM

8 h behind Qatif

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

87,332

530,000

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.19 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

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Qatif Ibague 13,200 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

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Qatif
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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

Qatif vs Ibague: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qatif is about 3% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Qatif is about 3.6 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $586 in Qatif versus $726 in Ibague. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,102 per month in Qatif versus $1,131 in Ibague – Qatif is about 3% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Qatif runs roughly 42% less than in Ibague. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Qatif gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Qatif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Ibague. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.