Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sakakah and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Sakakah: $1,164 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sakakah
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,164
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,625
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sakakah 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 Sakakah and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,164 per month in Sakakah vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Sakakah $1,164
  • Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $1,735 per month in Sakakah vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Sakakah $1,735
  • Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $2,307 per month in Sakakah vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Sakakah $2,307
  • Medellin $3,199

Sakakah is about 28% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sakakah sits 14% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sakakah
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.83 SAR 21.86
$8.30 COP 26.3K
-29.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.76 SAR 142
$46.91 COP 148.7K
-19.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.12 SAR 30.47
$9.24 COP 29.3K
-12.12%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.11 SAR 7.92
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.55 SAR 5.83
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.66 SAR 13.74
$3.05 COP 9,676
20.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 SAR 2.43
$1.80 COP 5,707
-63.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 SAR 1.29
$1.38 COP 4,382
-75.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$3.24 COP 10.3K
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$5.56 COP 17.6K
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sakakah
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 SAR 6.48
$1.50 COP 4,760
15.33%
White Bread (500g)
$1.20 SAR 4.50
$2.37 COP 7,508
-49.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.42 SAR 9.08
$1.70 COP 5,377
42.35%
Eggs
$2.35 SAR 8.81
$2.96 COP 9,379
-20.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.96 SAR 29.86
$10.22 COP 32.4K
-22.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.23 SAR 27.14
$9.74 COP 30.9K
-25.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.66 SAR 47.52
$13.90 COP 44.1K
-8.92%
Apples (1kg)
$2.13 SAR 8.01
$4.13 COP 13.1K
-48.43%
Banana (1kg)
$1.66 SAR 6.24
$1.53 COP 4,839
8.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.59 SAR 5.97
$2.22 COP 7,052
-28.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.60 SAR 6.02
$2.27 COP 7,194
-29.52%
Potato (1kg)
$1.23 SAR 4.63
$1.99 COP 6,311
-38.19%
Onion (1kg)
$1.33 SAR 4.99
$1.67 COP 5,285
-20.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 SAR 4.45
$1.18 COP 3,742
0.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 SAR 1.96
$1.24 COP 3,919
-58.06%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$2.92 SAR 10.94
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 SAR 6.37
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 SAR 7.68
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.77 SAR 25.40
$3.87 COP 12.3K
74.94%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$13.78 COP 43.7K
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.66 COP 5,256
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.40 COP 7,615
-
🚌 Getting Around
Sakakah
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.15 SAR 4.32
$1.24 COP 3,944
-7.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$33.72 SAR 127
$78.2 COP 248.0K
-56.89%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.75 SAR 10.33
$1.28 COP 4,044
114.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.89 SAR 7.08
$2.15 COP 6,803
-12.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.51 SAR 46.94
$8.37 COP 26.5K
49.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.59 SAR 2.22
$1.35 COP 4,288
-56.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.5K SAR 114.6K
$34.8K COP 110.2M
-12.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.2K SAR 90.9K
$34.7K COP 110.0M
-30.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sakakah
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.5 SAR 362
$167 COP 528.4K
-42.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.92 SAR 124
$13.62 COP 43.2K
141.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$62.6 SAR 235
$29.12 COP 92.3K
115.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sakakah
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$80.7 SAR 303
$45.09 COP 143.0K
78.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.18 COP 54.5K
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.65 SAR 51.2
$6.97 COP 22.1K
95.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sakakah
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$479 SAR 1,799
$790 COP 2.5M
-39.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,334 SAR 27.5K
$9,041 COP 28.7M
-18.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sakakah
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.40 SAR 170
$87.8 COP 278.4K
-48.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.5 SAR 216
$58.2 COP 184.4K
-1.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 SAR 379
$139 COP 440.7K
-27.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$84.0 SAR 315
$98.9 COP 313.5K
-15.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sakakah
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$576 SAR 2,163
$1,028 COP 3.3M
-43.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$366 SAR 1,374
$620 COP 2.0M
-40.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$809 SAR 3,035
$1,881 COP 6.0M
-56.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$561 SAR 2,105
$1,008 COP 3.2M
-44.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,055 SAR 7,710
$3,988 COP 12.6M
-48.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,302 SAR 4,887
$1,702 COP 5.4M
-23.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sakakah
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$930 SAR 3,490
$663 COP 2.1M
40.21%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.54
10.94
-49.36%

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

Last update for Sakakah: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sakakah
$366
Medellin
$619 69.1% $253
Groceries & Markets
Sakakah
$199
Medellin
$298 49.9% $99
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sakakah
$192
Medellin
$209 9% $17
Clothing & Footwear
Sakakah
$130
Medellin
$173 33.4% $43
Eating Out
Sakakah
$119
Medellin
$171 43.7% $52
Sport & Entertainment
Sakakah
$108
Medellin
$59 45.3% $49
Getting Around
Sakakah
$51
Medellin
$95 88.5% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $576 in Sakakah versus $1,028 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 40% higher in Sakakah, 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 $38.00 in Sakakah versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $298 – making Sakakah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇦 Sakakah
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
16:24 4:24 PM
08:24 8:24 AM
8 h behind Sakakah
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
242,813
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sakakah Medellin 12,080 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sakakah
  • 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
Sakakah vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Sakakah?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 40%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,746 per month in Sakakah and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sakakah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Sakakah or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Sakakah and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Sakakah and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,164 in Sakakah and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 40%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Sakakah or in Medellin?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sakakah, where all-in costs run around $1,164, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Sakakah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Sakakah or Medellin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Sakakah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Sakakah or Medellin?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Sakakah. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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