Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aktau and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Aktau: $790 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Aktau
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Aktau Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Aktau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$790

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $790 per month in Aktau vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Aktau $790
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,315 per month in Aktau vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Aktau $1,315
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,840 per month in Aktau vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Aktau $1,840
Medellin $3,186

Aktau is about 52% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Aktau sits 42% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.03 ₸5,002

$8.09 COP 26.1K

36.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.54 ₸19.7K

$47.05 COP 151.9K

-7.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.90 ₸4,492

$9.50 COP 30.7K

4.21%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₸1,177

$3.01 COP 9,735

-13.95%

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

$0.79 ₸356

$1.80 COP 5,809

-56.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₸222

$1.41 COP 4,561

-65.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 ₸620

$3.18 COP 10.3K

-56.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₸720

$5.75 COP 18.6K

-72.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 ₸669

$1.51 COP 4,876

-2.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 ₸228

$2.38 COP 7,678

-78.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 ₸860

$1.77 COP 5,720

7.34%

Eggs

$1.69 ₸768

$2.89 COP 9,333

-41.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 ₸4,543

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-1.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.16 ₸1,885

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-57.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.58 ₸3,892

$13.99 COP 45.2K

-38.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 ₸693

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-61.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 ₸1,054

$1.55 COP 5,012

49.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₸1,063

$2.18 COP 7,048

7.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 ₸1,262

$2.18 COP 7,051

27.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₸301

$1.96 COP 6,337

-66.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 ₸260

$1.59 COP 5,132

-64.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 ₸673

$1.15 COP 3,699

28.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₸413

$1.24 COP 4,014

-26.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.59 ₸1,176

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-34.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.37 ₸4,249

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-31.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₸354

$1.66 COP 5,359

-53.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₸417

$2.26 COP 7,291

-59.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 ₸70.4

$1.17 COP 3,771

-86.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 ₸496

$1.27 COP 4,094

-14.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸291

$2.05 COP 6,612

-68.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 ₸301

$1.35 COP 4,349

-51.11%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

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

$31.4K ₸14.2M

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-9.41%

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

$45.62 ₸20.7K

$170 COP 547.8K

-73.11%

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

$8.07 ₸3,662

$13.55 COP 43.8K

-40.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ₸4,852

$28.07 COP 90.6K

-61.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.05 ₸16.4K

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-17.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$3.03 ₸1,373

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-56.15%

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

$146 ₸66.2K

$797 COP 2.6M

-81.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,678 ₸1.2M

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-70.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.3 ₸30.5K

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-20.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.80 ₸18.1K

$58.0 COP 187.2K

-31.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 ₸32.5K

$135 COP 435.8K

-46.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 ₸40.5K

$97.9 COP 316.0K

-8.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$328 ₸149.0K

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-72.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$193 ₸87.8K

$642 COP 2.1M

-69.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 ₸246.7K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-73.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₸178.2K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-61.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$806 ₸365.8K

$4,170 COP 13.5M

-80.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$657 ₸297.9K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-65.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$553 ₸250.8K

$657 COP 2.1M

-15.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

27.97%

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

Last update for Aktau: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Aktau

$200 25.3%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 48.5% $97

Accommodation & Living

Aktau

$193 24.5%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 232% $448

Eating Out

Aktau

$164 20.8%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 3.3% $5.4

Clothing & Footwear

Aktau

$121 15.3%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 40.2% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aktau

$64 8.2%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 228% $147

Sport & Entertainment

Aktau

$42 5.3%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 36.7% $15

Getting Around

Aktau

$4.9 * 0.6%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 1801% $89

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $328 in Aktau versus $1,208 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 19% higher in Medellin, 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 $44 in Aktau versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $297 – making Aktau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Aktau

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

08:23 8:23 AM

22:23 10:23 PM

10 h behind Aktau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

273,830

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 454 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Aktau Medellin 12,320 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Aktau
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

Aktau vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 108% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,185 per month in Aktau and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aktau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $328 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Aktau and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 48% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Aktau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Aktau. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.