Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erdenet and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Erdenet: $376 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Erdenet
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Erdenet Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Erdenet

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$376

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $376 in Erdenet versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Erdenet $376
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $622 in Erdenet versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Erdenet $622
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $868 in Erdenet versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Erdenet $868
Medellin $3,199

Living in Erdenet costs roughly 77% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Erdenet is 72% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.25 MNT 15.3K

$8.30 COP 26.3K

-48.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.10 MNT 101.1K

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-40.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.12 MNT 14.8K

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-55.41%

Cappuccino

$2.27 MNT 8,151

$3.05 COP 9,676

-25.57%

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

$0.61 MNT 2,200

$1.80 COP 5,707

-66.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MNT 1,584

$1.38 COP 4,382

-68.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.64 MNT 5,912

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-49.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 MNT 5,958

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-70.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 MNT 3,657

$1.50 COP 4,760

-32.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 MNT 3,167

$2.37 COP 7,508

-62.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 MNT 9,728

$1.70 COP 5,377

59.41%

Eggs

$2.04 MNT 7,340

$2.96 COP 9,379

-31.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.01 MNT 25.2K

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-31.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.13 MNT 25.6K

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-26.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.42 MNT 15.9K

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-68.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 MNT 7,839

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-47.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 MNT 6,086

$1.53 COP 4,839

10.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 MNT 6,084

$2.22 COP 7,052

-23.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 MNT 5,074

$2.27 COP 7,194

-37.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 MNT 5,036

$1.99 COP 6,311

-29.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 MNT 2,942

$1.67 COP 5,285

-50.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 MNT 4,895

$1.18 COP 3,742

15.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 MNT 3,322

$1.24 COP 3,919

-25.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.73 MNT 9,822

$3.87 COP 12.3K

-29.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.51 MNT 19.8K

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-60.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MNT 6,089

$1.66 COP 5,256

1.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 MNT 5,861

$2.40 COP 7,615

-32.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 MNT 635

$1.24 COP 3,944

-85.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.23 MNT 69.2K

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-75.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 MNT 2,370

$1.28 COP 4,044

-48.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 MNT 1,448

$2.15 COP 6,803

-81.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 MNT 2,714

$1.35 COP 4,288

-44.44%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

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

$59.0 MNT 212.3K

$167 COP 528.4K

-64.58%

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

$2.81 MNT 10.1K

$13.62 COP 43.2K

-79.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.90 MNT 50.0K

$29.12 COP 92.3K

-52.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

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

$276 MNT 994.0K

$790 COP 2.5M

-65.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,460 MNT 8.8M

$9,041 COP 28.7M

-72.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$218 MNT 785.6K

$663 COP 2.1M

-67.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Erdenet: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Erdenet

$188 50%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 58.5% $110

Eating Out

Erdenet

$89 23.8%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 91.4% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erdenet

$76 20.2%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 177% $134

Getting Around

Erdenet

$23 6%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 321% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Erdenet

- * 0%

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Erdenet

- * 0%

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Accommodation & Living

Erdenet

- * 0%

Medellin

$619 38.1%

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

Cost Breakdown

Medellin pays 204% 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: $28.00 in Erdenet vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $298 per month, with Erdenet cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇳 Erdenet

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

01:45 1:45 AM

12:45 12:45 PM

13 h behind Erdenet

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

86,866

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.47 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to MNT – Mongolian Tögrög Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇳 Mongolian Tögrög (₮)

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,596 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,043 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.47 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 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 MNT in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Erdenet Medellin 13,870 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Erdenet
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

Erdenet vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Erdenet and Medellin differ by about 333% in total monthly costs ($376 vs $1,625 including rent). Erdenet is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 204% lower in Medellin. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $276 in Erdenet versus $790 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $376 in Erdenet versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Erdenet but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Erdenet 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, Erdenet 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 Erdenet gentler on the wallet – expenses run 333% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.