Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Qatif and Medellin

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.

53

Cost of Living Index in Qatif
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Qatif Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Qatif

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,102

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Qatif and in Medellin

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

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

Qatif $1,102
Medellin $1,639

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

Qatif $1,640
Medellin $2,413

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

Qatif $2,178
Medellin $3,186

Qatif is about 33% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.50 SAR 13.15

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-56.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.91 SAR 131

$47.05 COP 151.7K

-25.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.52 SAR 24.48

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-31.37%

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

$3.01 COP 9,722

2.99%

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

$0.77 SAR 2.89

$1.80 COP 5,801

-57.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 SAR 0.72

$1.41 COP 4,554

-86.52%

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)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

$1.51 COP 4,869

17.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 SAR 3.42

$2.38 COP 7,667

-61.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 SAR 7.20

$1.77 COP 5,712

8.47%

Eggs

$2.10 SAR 7.89

$2.89 COP 9,320

-27.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.90 SAR 22.14

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-42.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 SAR 29.64

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-19.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 SAR 47.44

$13.99 COP 45.1K

-9.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 SAR 8.58

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-42.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

$1.55 COP 5,005

10.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.95

$2.18 COP 7,039

-27.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.67 SAR 2.52

$2.18 COP 7,041

-69.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 SAR 4.05

$1.96 COP 6,328

-44.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 SAR 4.26

$1.59 COP 5,125

-28.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 SAR 3.58

$1.15 COP 3,694

-17.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.07

$1.24 COP 4,009

-55.65%

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

$3.96 COP 12.8K

58.08%

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)

$1.09 SAR 4.09

$1.17 COP 3,766

-6.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.50 SAR 137

$77.4 COP 249.5K

-52.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 SAR 9.22

$1.27 COP 4,089

93.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 SAR 2.07

$2.05 COP 6,603

-73.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.24 SAR 49.70

$8.55 COP 27.6K

54.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 SAR 2.29

$1.35 COP 4,343

-54.81%

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

$29.1K SAR 109.1K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-14.67%

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

$20.3K SAR 76.3K

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-41.37%

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

$104 SAR 388

$170 COP 547.0K

-38.99%

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

$32.15 SAR 121

$13.55 COP 43.7K

137.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.3 SAR 222

$28.07 COP 90.5K

111.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.4 SAR 298

$43.70 COP 140.9K

81.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.38 SAR 80.2

$17.19 COP 55.4K

24.37%

Cinema Ticket

$13.07 SAR 49.03

$6.91 COP 22.3K

89.15%

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

$264 SAR 992

$797 COP 2.6M

-66.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,860 SAR 29.5K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-13.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.16 SAR 121

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-62.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.10 SAR 79.2

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-63.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 SAR 358

$135 COP 435.2K

-29.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.7 SAR 340

$97.9 COP 315.6K

-7.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 SAR 2,199

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-51.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 SAR 1,402

$642 COP 2.1M

-41.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$807 SAR 3,029

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-60.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 SAR 2,171

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-42.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$943 SAR 3,537

$4,170 COP 13.4M

-77.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$796 SAR 2,987

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-58.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,257 SAR 8,471

$657 COP 2.1M

243.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

10.94

-49.73%

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

Last update for Qatif: October 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Qatif

$374 33.9%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 71.7% $268

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Qatif

$195 17.7%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 8.4% $16

Groceries & Markets

Qatif

$185 16.8%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 60.2% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Qatif

$108 9.8%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 56.8% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Qatif

$106 9.6%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 45.5% $48

Eating Out

Qatif

$89 8%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 91.4% $81

Getting Around

Qatif

$46 4.2%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 103% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $586 in Qatif versus $1,208 in Medellin. 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 $35 in Qatif versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $297 – making Qatif the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Qatif

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

00:16 12:16 AM

16:16 4:16 PM

8 h behind Qatif

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

87,332

2,486,723

💱 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 November 1, 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 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).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Qatif Medellin 13,120 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Qatif
Medellin

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 Medellin: 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 $1,653 per month in Qatif and $2,459 in Medellin. 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 $35 in Qatif and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

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

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,102 in Qatif and $1,639 in Medellin, 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.