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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,148 per month in Rabigh vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,667 per month in Rabigh vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,186 per month in Rabigh vs $2,188 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 15% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.90 SAR 14.63

$5.95 COP 20.8K

-34.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.09 SAR 79.1

$33.33 COP 116.3K

-36.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.15 SAR 26.82

$7.23 COP 25.2K

-1.11%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 SAR 4.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 SAR 2.87

Cappuccino

$2.42 SAR 9.06

$1.63 COP 5,687

48.47%

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

$0.64 SAR 2.39

$1.09 COP 3,821

-41.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.11 SAR 0.42

$0.73 COP 2,548

-84.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 SAR 4.88

$1.05 COP 3,662

23.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.28 SAR 1.06

$1.29 COP 4,515

-78.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 SAR 8.77

$1.32 COP 4,617

77.27%

Eggs

$2.22 SAR 8.32

$2.27 COP 7,927

-2.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.48 SAR 20.56

$4.35 COP 15.2K

25.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.94 SAR 18.55

$5.88 COP 20.5K

-15.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 SAR 47.16

$8.61 COP 30.0K

45.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 SAR 8.17

$2.25 COP 7,844

-3.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 SAR 6.00

$1.07 COP 3,733

49.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.92

$1.52 COP 5,322

3.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.87

$1.42 COP 4,964

-8.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 SAR 4.98

$1.17 COP 4,084

13.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 SAR 4.70

$1.17 COP 4,077

6.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 SAR 4.10

$0.89 COP 3,096

22.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 SAR 2.09

$0.90 COP 3,146

-37.78%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.14 SAR 15.53

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 SAR 7.00

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 SAR 9.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.72 SAR 10.21

$2.25 COP 7,837

20.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.93

$0.84 COP 2,916

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.05 SAR 150

$41.95 COP 146.4K

-4.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 SAR 12.36

$1.41 COP 4,912

133.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 SAR 6.84

$1.90 COP 6,634

-4.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.02 SAR 56.4

$7.75 COP 27.0K

93.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$1.01 COP 3,509

-41.58%

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

$27.1K SAR 101.6K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

54.01%

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

$22.1K SAR 82.8K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-16.72%

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

$107 SAR 402

$83.7 COP 292.1K

28.01%

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

$32.50 SAR 122

$9.45 COP 33.0K

243.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.0 SAR 259

$24.11 COP 84.1K

185.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.0 SAR 326

$25.31 COP 88.3K

243.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.38 SAR 133

$19.14 COP 66.8K

84.85%

Cinema Ticket

$13.54 SAR 50.8

$4.10 COP 14.3K

230.24%

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

$401 SAR 1,504

$312 COP 1.1M

28.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,411 SAR 24.1K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

6.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 SAR 239

$58.0 COP 202.6K

9.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.4 SAR 219

$32.56 COP 113.6K

79.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.5 SAR 351

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-6.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.9 SAR 311

$109 COP 378.8K

-23.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 SAR 1,059

$482 COP 1.7M

-41.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 SAR 1,434

$379 COP 1.3M

0.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$523 SAR 1,962

$837 COP 2.9M

-37.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 SAR 2,326

$723 COP 2.5M

-14.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,005 SAR 7,525

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-29.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 SAR 5,231

$1,223 COP 4.3M

13.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $282 in Rabigh versus $482 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 $1,722 per month in Rabigh and $1,525 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 $1,148 in Rabigh and $1,017 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 $1,017, than in Rabigh at $1,148. 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.