Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Almaty: $1,387 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,387 per month in Almaty vs $1,589 in Medellin, rent included.

Almaty $1,387
Medellin $1,589

A couple spends around $2,135 per month in Almaty vs $2,364 in Medellin, rent included.

Almaty $2,135
Medellin $2,364

A family of three spends $2,883 per month in Almaty vs $3,139 in Medellin, rent included.

Almaty $2,883
Medellin $3,139

Almaty is about 13% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Almaty and Medellin sit above the global median – Almaty by 3%, Medellin by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.31 ₸5,991

$8.01 COP 25.8K

66.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 ₸19.5K

$46.55 COP 149.9K

-6.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 ₸3,959

$9.43 COP 30.4K

-6.68%

Cappuccino

$3.30 ₸1,486

$2.91 COP 9,374

13.40%

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

$1.37 ₸616

$1.75 COP 5,643

-21.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₸406

$1.32 COP 4,263

-31.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 ₸1,409

$3.13 COP 10.1K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ₸1,847

$5.55 COP 17.9K

-26.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ₸749

$1.41 COP 4,542

17.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 ₸403

$2.44 COP 7,858

-63.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 ₸927

$1.63 COP 5,245

26.38%

Eggs

$2.37 ₸1,067

$2.82 COP 9,084

-15.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 ₸5,689

$9.69 COP 31.2K

30.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.62 ₸2,978

$9.32 COP 30.0K

-28.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.87 ₸4,893

$13.46 COP 43.3K

-19.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₸839

$4.00 COP 12.9K

-53.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 ₸1,067

$1.48 COP 4,768

60.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 ₸1,348

$2.12 COP 6,839

41.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 ₸1,273

$2.25 COP 7,253

25.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ₸345

$1.91 COP 6,155

-59.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ₸262

$1.62 COP 5,214

-64.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 ₸718

$1.15 COP 3,696

38.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₸446

$1.26 COP 4,063

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 ₸1,145

$3.82 COP 12.3K

-33.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 ₸4,969

$13.11 COP 42.2K

-15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸546

$1.60 COP 5,136

-24.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₸1,085

$2.26 COP 7,263

6.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸113

$1.17 COP 3,770

-78.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.84 ₸9,831

$75.0 COP 241.5K

-70.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 ₸577

$1.27 COP 4,098

0.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸289

$2.05 COP 6,600

-68.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.74 ₸4,836

$8.20 COP 26.4K

30.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.69 ₸312

$1.27 COP 4,088

-45.67%

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

$22.3K ₸10.0M

$26.8K COP 86.2M

-16.81%

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

$29.3K ₸13.2M

$34.4K COP 110.8M

-14.73%

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

$87.8 ₸39.5K

$162 COP 522.3K

-45.90%

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

$10.83 ₸4,874

$13.12 COP 42.3K

-17.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ₸7,831

$28.09 COP 90.5K

-38.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 ₸31.4K

$44.33 COP 142.7K

57.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.58 ₸12.0K

$16.33 COP 52.6K

62.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 ₸3,009

$6.09 COP 19.6K

9.69%

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

$446 ₸200.8K

$764 COP 2.5M

-41.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ₸5.4M

$8,904 COP 28.7M

33.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 ₸42.2K

$85.0 COP 273.6K

10.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.91 ₸21.1K

$57.5 COP 185.1K

-18.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 ₸64.3K

$132 COP 424.2K

8.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.1K

$95.8 COP 308.3K

39.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$773 ₸348.1K

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-24.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 ₸223.9K

$604 COP 1.9M

-17.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 ₸625.9K

$1,802 COP 5.8M

-22.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 ₸396.0K

$993 COP 3.2M

-11.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,546 ₸1.1M

$3,921 COP 12.6M

-35.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 ₸678.2K

$1,639 COP 5.3M

-8.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$834 ₸375.2K

$626 COP 2.0M

33.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

10.94

88.76%

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

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$497 36.4%

Medellin

$604 38.3% 21.5% $107

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$251 18.4%

Medellin

$288 18.3% 14.8% $37

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 15%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 19% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$188 13.7%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 11.2% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$116 8.5%

Medellin

$203 12.9% 75.4% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$83 6.1%

Medellin

$57 3.6% 32% $27

Getting Around

Almaty

$27 2%

Medellin

$91 5.8% 234% $64

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $773 in Almaty 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 33% higher in Almaty, 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 $43.00 in Almaty versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $288 – making Almaty the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

13:35 1:35 PM

02:35 2:35 AM

11 h behind Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.11 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 October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,220 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Almaty Medellin 13,850 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Almaty
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

Almaty vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,080 per month in Almaty and $2,384 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Almaty, 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 $43.00 in Almaty and $47.00 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 $1,387 in Almaty and $1,589 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 15%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Almaty, where all-in costs run around $1,387, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Almaty it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Almaty – 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 Almaty. 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.