Cost of Living Comparison Between Rabigh and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Rabigh and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,163 per month in Rabigh vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,703 per month in Rabigh vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,243 per month in Rabigh vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Rabigh costs about 13% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Rabigh and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Rabigh 13% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.10 SAR 15.36

$5.92 COP 21.4K

-30.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.94 SAR 78.5

$32.75 COP 118.2K

-36.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.16 SAR 26.84

$7.20 COP 26.0K

-0.56%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 SAR 5.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 SAR 3.10

Cappuccino

$2.47 SAR 9.26

$1.70 COP 6,140

45.29%

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

$0.69 SAR 2.57

$1.10 COP 3,966

-37.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 SAR 0.46

$0.72 COP 2,605

-83.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 SAR 5.13

$1.06 COP 3,809

29.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.28 SAR 1.06

$1.25 COP 4,497

-77.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 SAR 8.65

$1.39 COP 5,022

66.19%

Eggs

$2.21 SAR 8.29

$2.26 COP 8,168

-2.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.49 SAR 20.57

$4.33 COP 15.6K

26.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.83 SAR 18.11

$5.84 COP 21.1K

-17.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.63 SAR 47.36

$8.83 COP 31.9K

43.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 SAR 8.12

$2.24 COP 8,099

-3.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.91

$1.08 COP 3,882

46.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

$1.53 COP 5,522

5.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.88

$1.37 COP 4,950

-5.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 SAR 4.96

$1.13 COP 4,078

16.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 SAR 4.65

$1.12 COP 4,036

10.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 SAR 3.96

$0.85 COP 3,057

24.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 SAR 2.23

$0.91 COP 3,281

-34.07%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.08 SAR 15.29

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 SAR 7.29

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 SAR 9.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 SAR 9.75

$2.33 COP 8,414

11.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.11

$0.79 COP 2,838

39.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.46 SAR 148

$41.13 COP 148.5K

-4.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 SAR 11.96

$1.44 COP 5,184

121.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 SAR 7.12

$1.91 COP 6,901

-0.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.28 SAR 57.3

$8.02 COP 28.9K

90.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.37

$0.94 COP 3,385

-32.98%

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

$26.4K SAR 99.1K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

47.47%

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

$21.7K SAR 81.3K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

-19.06%

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

$104 SAR 392

$84.0 COP 303.1K

24.36%

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

$31.74 SAR 119

$9.60 COP 34.7K

230.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.4 SAR 260

$24.16 COP 87.2K

187.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.3 SAR 335

$25.88 COP 93.4K

245.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.21 SAR 132

$19.04 COP 68.7K

84.93%

Cinema Ticket

$13.26 SAR 49.72

$3.92 COP 14.1K

238.27%

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

$408 SAR 1,531

$306 COP 1.1M

33.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,568 SAR 24.6K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

10.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.9 SAR 240

$57.9 COP 209.1K

10.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.7 SAR 216

$31.82 COP 114.9K

81.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 SAR 357

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-4.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.3 SAR 309

$107 COP 386.8K

-23.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 SAR 1,041

$487 COP 1.8M

-42.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 SAR 1,437

$368 COP 1.3M

4.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$531 SAR 1,990

$826 COP 3.0M

-35.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 SAR 2,347

$716 COP 2.6M

-12.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,387 SAR 8,952

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-18.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,325 SAR 4,969

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-5.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

13.43

-66.49%

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

Last update for Rabigh: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $278 in Rabigh 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Rabigh versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $164 vs $190 – making Rabigh 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

Rabigh vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rabigh is pricier by about 13%, 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 $1,745 per month in Rabigh 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 $21.00 in Rabigh 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 $1,163 in Rabigh 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 Rabigh at $1,163. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rabigh 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, Rabigh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.