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: $3,146 in Ashgabat versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,862 in Ashgabat versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,579 in Ashgabat versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Ashgabat is roughly 210% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ashgabat is 134% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$35.27 TMT 118

$5.95 COP 20.8K

492.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.5 TMT 291

$33.33 COP 116.3K

159.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.14 TMT 47.53

$7.23 COP 25.2K

95.57%

Cappuccino

$7.18 TMT 24.11

$1.63 COP 5,687

340.49%

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

$3.22 TMT 10.82

$1.09 COP 3,821

195.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 TMT 2.99

$0.73 COP 2,548

21.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.26 TMT 17.68

$1.74 COP 6,065

202.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.30 TMT 48.06

$3.23 COP 11.3K

342.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.81 TMT 16.17

$1.05 COP 3,662

358.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 TMT 8.11

$1.29 COP 4,515

86.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.28 TMT 24.45

$1.32 COP 4,617

451.52%

Eggs

$6.01 TMT 20.19

$2.27 COP 7,927

164.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$39.33 TMT 132

$4.35 COP 15.2K

804.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 TMT 62.2

$5.88 COP 20.5K

214.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.86 TMT 63.4

$8.61 COP 30.0K

119.05%

Apples (1kg)

$5.49 TMT 18.46

$2.25 COP 7,844

144.00%

Banana (1kg)

$9.09 TMT 30.54

$1.07 COP 3,733

749.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.79 TMT 26.18

$1.52 COP 5,322

412.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 TMT 12.19

$1.42 COP 4,964

155.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 TMT 7.83

$1.17 COP 4,084

99.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 TMT 6.13

$1.17 COP 4,077

55.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 TMT 6.90

$0.89 COP 3,096

130.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 TMT 3.76

$0.90 COP 3,146

24.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.97 TMT 87.3

$2.25 COP 7,837

1054.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$41.39 TMT 139

$11.04 COP 38.5K

274.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.65 TMT 15.62

$1.14 COP 3,977

307.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 TMT 9.71

$2.38 COP 8,301

21.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 TMT 0.45

$0.84 COP 2,916

-83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 TMT 29.09

$41.95 COP 146.4K

-79.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 TMT 9.49

$1.41 COP 4,912

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 TMT 2.73

$1.90 COP 6,634

-57.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.67 TMT 29.14

$7.75 COP 27.0K

11.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.41 TMT 1.38

$1.01 COP 3,509

-59.41%

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

$43.3K TMT 145.5K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

146.35%

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

$56.3K TMT 189.3K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

112.65%

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

$569 TMT 1,913

$83.7 COP 292.1K

580.53%

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

$58.1 TMT 195

$9.45 COP 33.0K

514.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 TMT 340

$24.11 COP 84.1K

319.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$198 TMT 667

$25.31 COP 88.3K

684.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.60 TMT 150

$19.14 COP 66.8K

133.02%

Cinema Ticket

$14.56 TMT 48.91

$4.10 COP 14.3K

255.12%

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

$22.76 TMT 76.5

$312 COP 1.1M

-92.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.7K TMT 86.2K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

328.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 TMT 223

$58.0 COP 202.6K

14.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$121 TMT 407

$32.56 COP 113.6K

271.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$305 TMT 1,025

$99.6 COP 347.7K

206.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 TMT 626

$109 COP 378.8K

71.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 TMT 3,839

$482 COP 1.7M

136.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$747 TMT 2,509

$379 COP 1.3M

96.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 TMT 6,021

$837 COP 2.9M

113.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 TMT 5,317

$723 COP 2.5M

118.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,528 TMT 11.9K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

24.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,850 TMT 9,575

$1,223 COP 4.3M

133.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$761 TMT 2,557

$541 COP 1.9M

40.68%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,143 in Ashgabat and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashgabat pays 41% 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: $87.0 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 210% in total monthly costs ($3,146 vs $1,017 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ashgabat pays 41% 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: $1,143 in Ashgabat versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $22.76 in Ashgabat versus $312 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 $1,017 in Medellin versus $3,146 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 210% less than in Ashgabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.