Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashgabat and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashgabat and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,218 in Ashgabat versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,933 in Ashgabat versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,648 in Ashgabat versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Ashgabat is roughly 211% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ashgabat is 140% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$35.11 TMT 123

$5.92 COP 21.4K

493.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 TMT 296

$32.75 COP 118.2K

157.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.26 TMT 49.93

$7.20 COP 26.0K

98.06%

Cappuccino

$7.09 TMT 24.82

$1.70 COP 6,140

317.06%

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

$3.33 TMT 11.64

$1.10 COP 3,966

202.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 TMT 3.09

$0.72 COP 2,605

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.29 TMT 18.52

$1.67 COP 6,022

216.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.51 TMT 50.8

$3.10 COP 11.2K

368.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.79 TMT 16.75

$1.06 COP 3,809

351.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 TMT 8.48

$1.25 COP 4,497

93.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.44 TMT 26.03

$1.39 COP 5,022

435.25%

Eggs

$6.19 TMT 21.68

$2.26 COP 8,168

173.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$40.14 TMT 141

$4.33 COP 15.6K

827.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.59 TMT 65.1

$5.84 COP 21.1K

218.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.74 TMT 65.6

$8.83 COP 31.9K

112.23%

Apples (1kg)

$5.34 TMT 18.69

$2.24 COP 8,099

138.39%

Banana (1kg)

$8.86 TMT 31.01

$1.08 COP 3,882

720.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.48 TMT 26.18

$1.53 COP 5,522

388.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 TMT 12.69

$1.37 COP 4,950

164.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 TMT 8.05

$1.13 COP 4,078

103.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 TMT 6.30

$1.12 COP 4,036

60.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 TMT 6.96

$0.85 COP 3,057

134.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 TMT 3.81

$0.91 COP 3,281

19.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.64 TMT 89.7

$2.33 COP 8,414

1000.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$41.19 TMT 144

$11.13 COP 40.2K

270.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.74 TMT 16.58

$1.19 COP 4,309

298.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 TMT 10.28

$2.37 COP 8,553

24.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 TMT 0.53

$0.79 COP 2,838

-81.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.42 TMT 29.47

$41.13 COP 148.5K

-79.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 TMT 10.20

$1.44 COP 5,184

102.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 TMT 2.88

$1.91 COP 6,901

-57.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 TMT 30.18

$8.02 COP 28.9K

7.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.42 TMT 1.47

$0.94 COP 3,385

-55.32%

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

$43.4K TMT 151.8K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

142.03%

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

$56.6K TMT 198.2K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

111.39%

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

$574 TMT 2,007

$84.0 COP 303.1K

583.15%

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

$57.2 TMT 200

$9.60 COP 34.7K

496.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 TMT 355

$24.16 COP 87.2K

320.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$197 TMT 689

$25.88 COP 93.4K

660.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.92 TMT 154

$19.04 COP 68.7K

130.67%

Cinema Ticket

$14.21 TMT 49.72

$3.92 COP 14.1K

262.50%

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

$22.41 TMT 78.4

$306 COP 1.1M

-92.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.7K TMT 90.0K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

334.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.3 TMT 228

$57.9 COP 209.1K

12.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$121 TMT 422

$31.82 COP 114.9K

279.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$295 TMT 1,033

$99.9 COP 360.6K

195.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 TMT 644

$107 COP 386.8K

71.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 TMT 3,963

$487 COP 1.8M

132.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 TMT 2,599

$368 COP 1.3M

101.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,760 TMT 6,159

$826 COP 3.0M

113.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 TMT 5,657

$716 COP 2.6M

125.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,496 TMT 12.2K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

19.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,865 TMT 10.0K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

103.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$751 TMT 2,629

$546 COP 2.0M

37.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.5

13.43

-29.26%

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

Last update for Ashgabat: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,132 in Ashgabat and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashgabat pays 38% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $84.0 in Ashgabat vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $668 vs $190 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Ashgabat vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ashgabat and Medellin differ by about 211% in total monthly costs ($3,218 vs $1,034 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ashgabat pays 38% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,132 in Ashgabat versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $22.41 in Ashgabat versus $306 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 252% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $3,218 in Ashgabat, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ashgabat. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ashgabat and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 211% less than in Ashgabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.