Cost of Living Comparison Between Qatif and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Qatif and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,055 per month in Qatif vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,678 per month in Qatif vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,301 per month in Qatif vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Qatif costs about 2% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Qatif and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Qatif 21% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.39 SAR 12.71

$5.92 COP 21.5K

-42.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.21 SAR 181

$32.75 COP 119.1K

47.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.10 SAR 30.38

$7.20 COP 26.2K

12.50%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 SAR 7.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 SAR 6.89

Cappuccino

$3.53 SAR 13.23

$1.70 COP 6,186

107.65%

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

$0.77 SAR 2.89

$1.10 COP 3,996

-30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.97

$0.72 COP 2,625

-63.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,067

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

$1.06 COP 3,837

55.66%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 SAR 3.01

$1.25 COP 4,531

-36.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 SAR 7.89

$1.39 COP 5,060

51.08%

Eggs

$2.33 SAR 8.73

$2.26 COP 8,229

3.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.20 SAR 23.26

$4.33 COP 15.8K

43.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.16 SAR 26.83

$5.84 COP 21.2K

22.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.02 SAR 37.58

$8.83 COP 32.1K

13.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 SAR 8.01

$2.24 COP 8,159

-4.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 SAR 5.76

$1.08 COP 3,911

42.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 SAR 5.38

$1.53 COP 5,563

-5.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.72 SAR 2.68

$1.37 COP 4,987

-47.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.78

$1.13 COP 4,109

13.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 SAR 4.99

$1.12 COP 4,067

18.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 SAR 4.15

$0.85 COP 3,080

30.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 SAR 1.90

$0.91 COP 3,305

-43.96%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.60 SAR 9.73

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 SAR 5.87

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 SAR 7.48

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.51 SAR 28.17

$2.33 COP 8,477

222.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,342

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,617

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.08

$0.79 COP 2,859

37.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.91 SAR 150

$41.13 COP 149.6K

-2.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 SAR 11.71

$1.44 COP 5,223

116.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

$1.91 COP 6,952

-17.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.41 SAR 50.3

$8.02 COP 29.2K

67.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.37

$0.94 COP 3,410

-32.98%

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

$22.5K SAR 84.3K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

25.41%

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

$19.6K SAR 73.5K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-26.81%

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

$103 SAR 387

$84.0 COP 305.4K

22.98%

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

$37.05 SAR 139

$9.60 COP 34.9K

285.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 SAR 221

$24.16 COP 87.9K

143.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.3 SAR 357

$25.88 COP 94.1K

268.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.2 SAR 214

$19.04 COP 69.3K

200.37%

Cinema Ticket

$15.22 SAR 57.1

$3.92 COP 14.2K

288.27%

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

$392 SAR 1,470

$306 COP 1.1M

27.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,106 SAR 30.4K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

36.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 SAR 196

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-9.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 SAR 190

$31.82 COP 115.7K

59.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 SAR 343

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-8.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.4 SAR 320

$107 COP 389.7K

-20.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$356 SAR 1,333

$487 COP 1.8M

-26.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 SAR 1,058

$368 COP 1.3M

-23.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$710 SAR 2,661

$826 COP 3.0M

-14.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 SAR 1,855

$716 COP 2.6M

-30.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$943 SAR 3,537

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-67.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$776 SAR 2,910

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-44.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,869 SAR 7,009

$546 COP 2.0M

242.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

13.43

-67.76%

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

Last update for Qatif: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $356 in Qatif versus $487 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 run about 243% higher in Qatif, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Qatif versus $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $173 in Qatif vs $190 in Medellin – so Qatif wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 – Qatif is pricier by about 2%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,583 per month in Qatif and $1,550 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Qatif and $33.00 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 $1,055 in Qatif and $1,034 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,034, than in Qatif at $1,055. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Qatif it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – 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 Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Qatif makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.