Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dushanbe and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Dushanbe: $948 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Dushanbe
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Dushanbe Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Dushanbe

🇹🇯 Tajikistan

$948

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $948 per month in Dushanbe vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Dushanbe $948
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,410 per month in Dushanbe vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Dushanbe $1,410
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $1,872 per month in Dushanbe vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Dushanbe $1,872
Medellin $3,190

Dushanbe is about 41% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Dushanbe sits 30% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.83 TJS 44.62

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-39.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.59 TJS 190

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-55.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.58 TJS 51.5

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-41.26%

Cappuccino

$1.82 TJS 16.85

$3.11 COP 9,866

-41.48%

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

$0.61 TJS 5.65

$1.83 COP 5,800

-66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 TJS 3.08

$1.38 COP 4,360

-76.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 TJS 10.73

$3.05 COP 9,672

-61.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 TJS 22.73

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-55.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 TJS 9.78

$1.45 COP 4,600

-26.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 TJS 5.44

$2.36 COP 7,496

-75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 TJS 21.46

$1.68 COP 5,328

38.10%

Eggs

$1.76 TJS 16.29

$2.86 COP 9,077

-38.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 TJS 103

$10.19 COP 32.3K

9.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 TJS 41.08

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-53.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 TJS 108

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-16.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 TJS 17.71

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-52.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 TJS 26.96

$1.50 COP 4,742

94.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 TJS 25.19

$2.17 COP 6,891

25.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 TJS 11.28

$2.31 COP 7,310

-47.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.60 TJS 5.53

$1.93 COP 6,113

-68.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 TJS 3.75

$1.64 COP 5,196

-75.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 TJS 11.53

$1.13 COP 3,571

10.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 TJS 6.11

$1.25 COP 3,954

-47.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 TJS 35.91

$3.99 COP 12.6K

-2.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.41 TJS 105

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-14.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 TJS 14.11

$1.70 COP 5,384

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 TJS 19.25

$2.37 COP 7,525

-12.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 TJS 2.39

$1.21 COP 3,827

-78.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.21 TJS 298

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-57.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 TJS 10.23

$1.32 COP 4,179

-15.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 TJS 2.91

$2.14 COP 6,774

-85.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.58 TJS 60.8

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-22.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 TJS 10.87

$1.30 COP 4,114

-9.23%

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

$16.4K TJS 151.8K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-41.26%

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

$24.5K TJS 226.6K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-30.73%

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

$67.7 TJS 625

$172 COP 545.6K

-60.69%

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

$10.12 TJS 93.5

$13.37 COP 42.4K

-24.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.24 TJS 159

$28.73 COP 91.1K

-39.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.46 TJS 429

$45.24 COP 143.5K

2.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.20 TJS 131

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-16.67%

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 TJS 49.90

$6.28 COP 19.9K

-14.01%

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

$83.7 TJS 773

$770 COP 2.4M

-89.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,749 TJS 53.1K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-36.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.06 TJS 222

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-72.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 TJS 483

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-8.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 TJS 729

$137 COP 432.9K

-42.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 TJS 528

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-41.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$635 TJS 5,867

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-39.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 TJS 3,269

$616 COP 2.0M

-42.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$882 TJS 8,147

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-53.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 TJS 5,253

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-44.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,290 TJS 11.9K

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-68.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$709 TJS 6,547

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-57.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$435 TJS 4,017

$652 COP 2.1M

-33.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

23.17

10.94

111.79%

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

Last update for Dushanbe: October 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dushanbe

$354 37.4%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 74% $262

Groceries & Markets

Dushanbe

$218 23%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 35.1% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Dushanbe

$96 10.1%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 77.9% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dushanbe

$95 10%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 125% $119

Eating Out

Dushanbe

$92 9.7%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 83.5% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Dushanbe

$57 6%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 0.9% $0.5

Getting Around

Dushanbe

$36 3.8%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 160% $57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $635 in Dushanbe versus $1,055 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 50% 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 $21.00 in Dushanbe versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $218 vs $295 – making Dushanbe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇯 Dushanbe

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

17:52 5:52 PM

07:52 7:52 AM

10 h behind Dushanbe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

679,400 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Tajikistani Somoni TJS ЅМ

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 TJS = 10.83 USD

100 TJS = 9.63 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to TJS – Tajikistani Somoni Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇯 Tajikistani Somoni (ЅМ)

Tajikistani Somoni exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.24 TJS (1 TJS = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.38 TJS (100 TJS = 9.63 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to TJS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dushanbe Medellin 13,820 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Dushanbe
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

Dushanbe vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 70%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,421 per month in Dushanbe and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dushanbe, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $83.7 per month in Dushanbe and $770 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 35% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dushanbe, where all-in costs run around $948, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Dushanbe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Dushanbe. 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.