Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Aktau

For one person, living is cheaper in Aktau: $790 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Aktau
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Aktau Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Aktau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$790

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Aktau

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Aktau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $790 in Aktau, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Aktau $790

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,315 in Aktau, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Aktau $1,315

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,840 in Aktau, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Aktau $1,840

Medellin costs about 108% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Aktau is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$11.03 ₸5,002

-26.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$43.54 ₸19.7K

8.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$9.90 ₸4,492

-4.04%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$2.59 ₸1,177

16.22%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.79 ₸356

127.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.49 ₸222

187.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$1.37 ₸620

132.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$1.59 ₸720

261.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.47 ₸669

2.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.50 ₸228

376.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.90 ₸860

-6.84%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$1.69 ₸768

71.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$10.02 ₸4,543

1.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$4.16 ₸1,885

137.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$8.58 ₸3,892

63.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.53 ₸693

159.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$2.32 ₸1,054

-33.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$2.34 ₸1,063

-6.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$2.78 ₸1,262

-21.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$0.66 ₸301

196.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$0.57 ₸260

178.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$1.48 ₸673

-22.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.91 ₸413

36.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$2.59 ₸1,176

52.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$9.37 ₸4,249

46.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$0.78 ₸354

112.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$0.92 ₸417

145.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.16 ₸70.4

631.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.09 ₸496

16.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.64 ₸291

220.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$0.66 ₸301

104.55%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$31.4K ₸14.2M

10.38%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$45.62 ₸20.7K

271.88%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$8.07 ₸3,662

67.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$10.70 ₸4,852

162.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$36.05 ₸16.4K

21.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$3.03 ₸1,373

128.05%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$146 ₸66.2K

445.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$2,678 ₸1.2M

240.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$67.3 ₸30.5K

25.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$39.80 ₸18.1K

45.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$71.6 ₸32.5K

88.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$89.2 ₸40.5K

9.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$328 ₸149.0K

267.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$193 ₸87.8K

231.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$544 ₸246.7K

272.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$393 ₸178.2K

157.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$806 ₸365.8K

417.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$657 ₸297.9K

190.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$553 ₸250.8K

18.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-21.86%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Aktau: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Aktau

$193 24.5% 69.8% $448

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Aktau

$200 25.3% 32.6% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Aktau

$64 8.2% 69.5% $147

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Aktau

$164 20.8% 3.2% $5.4

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Aktau

$121 15.3% 28.6% $48

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Aktau

$4.9 * 0.6% 94.7% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Aktau

$42 5.3% 26.8% $15

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $328 in Aktau. 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 19% 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 $47 in Medellin versus $44 in Aktau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $200 – making Aktau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇰🇿 Aktau

🕒 Local time

05:21 5:21 AM

15:21 3:21 PM

10 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

273,830

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 454 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Aktau 12,320 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Aktau

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

Medellin vs Aktau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 108% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,185 in Aktau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aktau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $328 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $44 in Aktau. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 48% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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

If budget matters most, go with Aktau. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.