Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Magadan and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Magadan: $1,144 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Magadan, Russia
Medellin, Colombia
Magadan
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,144
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,144 in Magadan versus $1,692 in Medellin.

  • Magadan $1,144
  • Medellin $1,692

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,772 in Magadan versus $2,471 in Medellin.

  • Magadan $1,772
  • Medellin $2,471

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,401 in Magadan versus $3,249 in Medellin.

  • Magadan $2,401
  • Medellin $3,249

Living in Magadan costs roughly 32% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Magadan is 15% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Magadan
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.42 ₽1,013
$8.34 COP 26.9K
48.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$41.93 ₽3,420
$46.53 COP 150.3K
-9.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.29 ₽595
$9.47 COP 30.6K
-23.02%
Cappuccino
$2.89 ₽236
$3.13 COP 10.1K
-7.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.18 ₽96.3
$1.77 COP 5,705
-33.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57 ₽46.60
$1.42 COP 4,601
-59.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.82 ₽148
$3.15 COP 10.2K
-42.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.49 ₽285
$5.70 COP 18.4K
-38.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Magadan
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 ₽98.6
$1.53 COP 4,950
-20.92%
White Bread (500g)
$0.79 ₽64.1
$2.29 COP 7,401
-65.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 ₽120
$1.94 COP 6,282
-24.23%
Eggs
$1.66 ₽135
$3.07 COP 9,905
-45.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.13 ₽989
$9.99 COP 32.3K
21.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.36 ₽437
$10.45 COP 33.7K
-48.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.17 ₽829
$13.96 COP 45.1K
-27.15%
Apples (1kg)
$1.79 ₽146
$4.05 COP 13.1K
-55.80%
Banana (1kg)
$1.86 ₽152
$1.53 COP 4,937
21.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.78 ₽145
$2.10 COP 6,797
-15.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.65 ₽216
$2.29 COP 7,409
15.72%
Potato (1kg)
$0.85 ₽69.0
$2.11 COP 6,813
-59.72%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 ₽51.8
$1.71 COP 5,521
-62.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.20 ₽97.8
$1.17 COP 3,780
2.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.61 ₽49.74
$1.58 COP 5,104
-61.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.50 ₽285
$3.91 COP 12.6K
-10.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.83 ₽639
$14.04 COP 45.4K
-44.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.08 ₽88.5
$1.76 COP 5,690
-38.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 ₽182
$2.71 COP 8,760
-17.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Magadan
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.54 ₽43.73
$1.18 COP 3,811
-54.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.33 ₽2,066
$76.3 COP 246.4K
-66.80%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.47 ₽202
$1.81 COP 5,836
36.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.37 ₽30.51
$2.13 COP 6,878
-82.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.51 ₽449
$8.13 COP 26.3K
-32.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.89 ₽72.9
$1.28 COP 4,119
-30.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$52.9K ₽4.3M
$34.4K COP 111.2M
53.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.0K ₽3.3M
$34.1K COP 110.3M
20.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Magadan
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$148 ₽12.1K
$178 COP 574.1K
-16.47%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.41 ₽523
$13.89 COP 44.9K
-53.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.09 ₽660
$30.74 COP 99.3K
-73.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Magadan
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.50 ₽2,732
$41.94 COP 135.5K
-20.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.55 ₽2,166
$16.80 COP 54.3K
58.04%
Cinema Ticket
$6.22 ₽507
$7.47 COP 24.1K
-16.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Magadan
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$364 ₽29.7K
$790 COP 2.6M
-53.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,702 ₽465.1K
$12.3K COP 39.7M
-53.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Magadan
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$91.1 ₽7,426
$86.3 COP 278.9K
5.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 ₽4,728
$59.3 COP 191.4K
-2.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$148 ₽12.1K
$138 COP 446.9K
7.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 ₽9,780
$98.8 COP 319.2K
21.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Magadan
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$441 ₽36.0K
$1,341 COP 4.3M
-67.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$328 ₽26.8K
$667 COP 2.2M
-50.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$918 ₽74.9K
$1,976 COP 6.4M
-53.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$571 ₽46.6K
$1,033 COP 3.3M
-44.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,122 ₽173.1K
$4,098 COP 13.2M
-48.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,479 ₽120.6K
$1,940 COP 6.3M
-23.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Magadan
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$646 COP 2.1M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
21.33
10.94
94.97%

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

Last update for Magadan: October 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Magadan
$328
Medellin
$667 103% $339
Groceries & Markets
Magadan
$208
Medellin
$307 47.7% $99
Clothing & Footwear
Magadan
$188
Medellin
$172 8.3% $16
Eating Out
Magadan
$179
Medellin
$173 3.6% $6.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Magadan
$163
Medellin
$222 36.4% $59
Sport & Entertainment
Magadan
$46
Medellin
$57 23.8% $11
Getting Around
Magadan
$32
Medellin
$93 194% $62

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $441 in Magadan and $1,341 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42 in Magadan vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $208 vs $307 per month, with Magadan cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇷🇺 Magadan
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
03:03 3:03 AM
11:03 11:03 AM
16 h behind Magadan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
89,193
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 81.56 RUB (100 RUB = 1.23 USD). 1 EUR = 91.6 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,628 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Magadan Medellin 11,640 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Magadan
  • 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
Magadan vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Magadan or Medellin?
Magadan wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Magadan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Magadan and in Medellin?
You’d need roughly $1,716 in Magadan and $2,538 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Magadan compared to Medellin?
Rent for a central apartment: $441 in Magadan versus $1,341 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Magadan compared to Medellin?
All in, you’ll spend $1,144 per month in Magadan versus $1,692 in Medellin – Magadan is about 32% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How expensive is transport in Magadan compared to Medellin?
A monthly transit pass in Magadan runs roughly 67% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Magadan or in Medellin?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Magadan is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Magadan or Medellin?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Magadan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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