Cost of Living Comparison Between Umluj and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Umluj and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,237 per month in Umluj vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,848 per month in Umluj vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,460 per month in Umluj vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Umluj costs about 20% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Umluj and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Umluj 8% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.58 SAR 24.68

$5.92 COP 21.5K

11.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.36 SAR 170

$32.75 COP 119.1K

38.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.21 SAR 30.78

$7.20 COP 26.2K

14.03%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 SAR 6.60

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 SAR 6.71

Cappuccino

$3.75 SAR 14.08

$1.70 COP 6,186

120.59%

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

$0.80 SAR 2.99

$1.10 COP 3,996

-27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 SAR 1.18

$0.72 COP 2,625

-56.94%

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)

$1.70 SAR 6.37

$1.06 COP 3,837

60.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 SAR 3.55

$1.25 COP 4,531

-24.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 SAR 8.86

$1.39 COP 5,060

69.78%

Eggs

$2.48 SAR 9.31

$2.26 COP 8,229

9.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.76 SAR 25.35

$4.33 COP 15.8K

56.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.32 SAR 27.44

$5.84 COP 21.2K

25.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.24 SAR 49.64

$8.83 COP 32.1K

49.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 SAR 8.51

$2.24 COP 8,159

1.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

$1.08 COP 3,911

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 SAR 6.28

$1.53 COP 5,563

9.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.03

$1.37 COP 4,987

17.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.81

$1.13 COP 4,109

13.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.81

$1.12 COP 4,067

14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 SAR 4.40

$0.85 COP 3,080

37.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.07

$0.91 COP 3,305

-39.56%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.22 SAR 12.07

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 SAR 6.36

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.87

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 SAR 26.75

$2.33 COP 8,477

206.01%

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)

$1.06 SAR 3.97

$0.79 COP 2,859

34.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.24 SAR 147

$41.13 COP 149.6K

-4.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 SAR 10.10

$1.44 COP 5,223

86.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 SAR 7.13

$1.91 COP 6,952

-0.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.40 SAR 50.3

$8.02 COP 29.2K

67.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.24

$0.94 COP 3,410

-36.17%

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

$26.3K SAR 98.7K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

46.79%

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

$22.7K SAR 85.1K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-15.29%

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

$106 SAR 398

$84.0 COP 305.4K

26.51%

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

$33.78 SAR 127

$9.60 COP 34.9K

251.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.8 SAR 273

$24.16 COP 87.9K

201.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.6 SAR 332

$25.88 COP 94.1K

242.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.32 SAR 136

$19.04 COP 69.3K

90.76%

Cinema Ticket

$15.81 SAR 59.3

$3.92 COP 14.2K

303.32%

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

$350 SAR 1,312

$306 COP 1.1M

14.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,866 SAR 25.7K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

16.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 SAR 219

$57.9 COP 210.6K

0.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.9 SAR 225

$31.82 COP 115.7K

88.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.6 SAR 302

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-19.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.3 SAR 305

$107 COP 389.7K

-24.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 SAR 1,649

$487 COP 1.8M

-9.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$388 SAR 1,456

$368 COP 1.3M

5.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$861 SAR 3,229

$826 COP 3.0M

4.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 SAR 2,372

$716 COP 2.6M

-11.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,328 SAR 8,731

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-20.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,358 SAR 5,093

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-3.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,303 SAR 16.1K

$546 COP 2.0M

688.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

13.43

-67.09%

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

Last update for Umluj: April 28, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $440 in Umluj 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 689% higher in Umluj, 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 $45.00 in Umluj versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $196 vs $190 – making Medellin 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

Umluj vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Umluj is pricier by about 20%, 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 $1,855 per month in Umluj 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 $45.00 in Umluj 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 $1,237 in Umluj 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 Umluj at $1,237. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Umluj 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, Umluj makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.