Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Irkutsk and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Irkutsk: $1,013 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Irkutsk
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Irkutsk Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Irkutsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,013

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Irkutsk versus $1,589 in Medellin.

Irkutsk $1,013
Medellin $1,589

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,501 in Irkutsk versus $2,364 in Medellin.

Irkutsk $1,501
Medellin $2,364

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,988 in Irkutsk versus $3,139 in Medellin.

Irkutsk $1,988
Medellin $3,139

Living in Irkutsk costs roughly 36% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Irkutsk is 24% below, Medellin is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.18 ₽611

$8.01 COP 25.5K

-10.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 ₽2,772

$46.55 COP 148.3K

-30.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.81 ₽494

$9.43 COP 30.1K

-38.39%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ₽258

$2.91 COP 9,277

4.12%

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

$1.60 ₽136

$1.75 COP 5,585

-8.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₽55.1

$1.32 COP 4,218

-50.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 ₽229

$3.13 COP 9,969

-14.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₽344

$5.55 COP 17.7K

-27.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₽102

$1.41 COP 4,495

-14.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.64 ₽54.5

$2.44 COP 7,777

-73.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 ₽189

$1.63 COP 5,191

36.20%

Eggs

$1.59 ₽135

$2.82 COP 8,990

-43.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.69 ₽995

$9.69 COP 30.9K

20.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.04 ₽514

$9.32 COP 29.7K

-35.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.24 ₽956

$13.46 COP 42.9K

-16.49%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ₽161

$4.00 COP 12.8K

-52.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 ₽169

$1.48 COP 4,719

34.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 ₽149

$2.12 COP 6,768

-17.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 ₽295

$2.25 COP 7,178

54.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ₽61.4

$1.91 COP 6,092

-62.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ₽58.6

$1.62 COP 5,160

-57.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 ₽152

$1.15 COP 3,658

55.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₽55.6

$1.26 COP 4,021

-48.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.70 ₽230

$3.82 COP 12.2K

-29.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.17 ₽610

$13.11 COP 41.8K

-45.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ₽86.7

$1.60 COP 5,083

-36.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₽162

$2.26 COP 7,188

-15.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ₽48.62

$1.17 COP 3,731

-51.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.79 ₽1,344

$75.0 COP 239.0K

-78.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₽102

$1.27 COP 4,056

-6.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.18 ₽14.94

$2.05 COP 6,531

-91.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.91 ₽758

$8.20 COP 26.1K

8.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 ₽66.8

$1.27 COP 4,046

-37.80%

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

$29.0K ₽2.5M

$26.8K COP 85.3M

8.33%

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

$36.8K ₽3.1M

$34.4K COP 109.6M

6.98%

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

$118 ₽10.0K

$162 COP 516.9K

-27.50%

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

$5.84 ₽497

$13.12 COP 41.8K

-55.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.41 ₽971

$28.09 COP 89.5K

-59.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.35 ₽2,923

$44.33 COP 141.2K

-22.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.13 ₽1,798

$16.33 COP 52.0K

29.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.64 ₽565

$6.09 COP 19.4K

9.03%

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

$294 ₽25.0K

$764 COP 2.4M

-61.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,121 ₽265.6K

$8,904 COP 28.4M

-64.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 ₽4,992

$85.0 COP 270.8K

-30.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.42 ₽1,993

$57.5 COP 183.2K

-59.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₽8,516

$132 COP 419.8K

-24.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₽9,642

$95.8 COP 305.1K

18.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 ₽37.2K

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-57.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₽26.3K

$604 COP 1.9M

-48.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 ₽63.8K

$1,802 COP 5.7M

-58.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$432 ₽36.8K

$993 COP 3.2M

-56.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,712 ₽230.8K

$3,921 COP 12.5M

-30.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,807 ₽153.7K

$1,639 COP 5.2M

10.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$752 ₽64.0K

$626 COP 2.0M

20.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.57

10.94

124.59%

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

Last update for Irkutsk: 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

Irkutsk

$309 30.7%

Medellin

$604 38.3% 95.4% $295

Groceries & Markets

Irkutsk

$220 21.9%

Medellin

$288 18.3% 31% $68

Eating Out

Irkutsk

$142 14.1%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 17.3% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Irkutsk

$135 13.4%

Medellin

$203 12.9% 50.8% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Irkutsk

$133 13.2%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 25.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Irkutsk

$48 4.7%

Medellin

$57 3.6% 18.6% $8.9

Getting Around

Irkutsk

$20 2%

Medellin

$91 5.8% 353% $71

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Irkutsk and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Irkutsk pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Irkutsk vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $288 per month, with Irkutsk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Irkutsk

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

10:26 10:26 AM

21:26 9:26 PM

13 h behind Irkutsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

617,515

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.18 USD

100 RUB = 1.05 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.09 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.44 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,574 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Irkutsk Medellin 13,500 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Irkutsk
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Irkutsk vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Irkutsk wins on cost – living expenses run 57% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Irkutsk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 20% higher in Irkutsk, 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: $438 in Irkutsk versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $294 in Irkutsk versus $764 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Irkutsk versus $1,589 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Irkutsk but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Irkutsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Irkutsk delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,013 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Irkutsk hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Irkutsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.