Cost of Living · SA vs CO
🇸🇦 Riyadh vs 🇨🇴 Medellín: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $1,033 in Saudi Arabia vs $736 in Colombia — 28.79% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Colombia
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -32.53%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -32.53%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -32.53%
Closest to Saudi Arabia prices
- 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle: -10.54%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): -10.63%
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): -10.64%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | Saudi Arabia | Colombia | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $667 | $450 (1,823,587 COP) | -32.53% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $533 | $360 (1,458,845 COP) | -32.53% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $1,219 | $823 (3,334,556 COP) | -32.53% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $8.43 | $6.19 (25,089 COP) | -26.57% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $35.14 | $25.80 (104,571 COP) | -26.58% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $5.52 | $4.17 (16,902 COP) | -24.46% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $0.63 | $0.51 (2,067 COP) | -19.05% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $1.84 | $1.47 (5,958 COP) | -20.11% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $1.96 | $1.56 (6,323 COP) | -20.41% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $5.76 | $4.60 (18,644 COP) | -20.14% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $2.30 | $1.84 (7,458 COP) | -20% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $2.77 | $2.21 (8,957 COP) | -20.22% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $6.91 | $5.52 (22,373 COP) | -20.12% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.15 | $0.92 (3,729 COP) | -20% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $2.81 | $2.06 (8,349 COP) | -26.69% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $6.07 | $5.43 (22,009 COP) | -10.54% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $2.34 | $1.72 (6,971 COP) | -26.5% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $1.33 | $1.06 (4,296 COP) | -20.3% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $32.63 | $24.64 (99,869 COP) | -24.49% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $1.38 | $1.04 (4,215 COP) | -24.64% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $1.87 | $1.38 (5,593 COP) | -26.2% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $0.84 | $0.62 (2,513 COP) | -26.19% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.72 | $0.64 (2,594 COP) | -11.11% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $100 | $75.80 (307,228 COP) | -24.5% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $35.14 | $26.53 (107,530 COP) | -24.5% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $22.59 | $17.06 (69,147 COP) | -24.48% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $23.43 | $17.20 (69,714 COP) | -26.59% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $6.56 | $4.82 (19,536 COP) | -26.52% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $14.06 | $10.32 (41,828 COP) | -26.6% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $41.75 | $37.31 (151,223 COP) | -10.63% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $68.32 | $61.05 (247,444 COP) | -10.64% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $117 | $85.99 (348,529 COP) | -26.59% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much cheaper is Colombia than Saudi Arabia?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $736 in Colombia versus $1,033 in Saudi Arabia — 28.79% less. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Colombia?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $2.06 in Colombia (≈ 8349.46 COP), versus about $2.81 in Saudi Arabia.
- How much is rent in Colombia compared to Saudi Arabia?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $450/month in Colombia versus $667/month in Saudi Arabia (-32.53%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.