Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Aktobe

For one person, living is cheaper in Aktobe: $881 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Aktobe
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Aktobe Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Aktobe

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$881

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Aktobe

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 Aktobe actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $881 in Aktobe, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Aktobe $881

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,386 in Aktobe, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Aktobe $1,386

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $1,891 in Aktobe, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Aktobe $1,891

Medellin costs about 83% more than Aktobe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Aktobe is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$8.74 ₸3,951

-9.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$40.63 ₸18.4K

13.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$7.01 ₸3,170

35.52%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$2.47 ₸1,115

25.91%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$1.26 ₸567

45.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.61 ₸275

126.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$1.84 ₸831

65.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$2.95 ₸1,335

86.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.42 ₸641

2.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$0.41 ₸184

475.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$0.93 ₸421

80.65%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$1.77 ₸799

61.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$7.82 ₸3,535

30.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$5.68 ₸2,569

67.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$9.10 ₸4,115

54.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$1.62 ₸733

151.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$2.13 ₸964

-29.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$2.34 ₸1,058

-7.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$1.94 ₸878

19.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$0.84 ₸378

129.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$0.40 ₸181

310.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$1.09 ₸494

3.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.69 ₸312

81.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$2.53 ₸1,142

57.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$5.95 ₸2,689

124.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.08 ₸489

57.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$1.81 ₸818

30.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.20 ₸90.8

505.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$17.62 ₸7,966

334.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$1.08 ₸487

22.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$1.13 ₸511

89.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$5.53 ₸2,499

53.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$0.65 ₸294

100.00%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$23.1K ₸10.4M

21.17%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$30.6K ₸13.8M

15.64%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$55.8 ₸25.2K

208.68%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$10.35 ₸4,680

29.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$20.93 ₸9,463

37.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$48.08 ₸21.7K

-5.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$12.14 ₸5,490

40.36%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$5.44 ₸2,458

15.44%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$220 ₸99.6K

249.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$3,286 ₸1.5M

174.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$54.4 ₸24.6K

58.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$55.8 ₸25.2K

2.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$118 ₸53.3K

15.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$100 ₸45.3K

-2.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$307 ₸138.8K

243.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$233 ₸105.5K

163.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$453 ₸204.8K

317.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$359 ₸162.3K

184.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$846 ₸382.4K

379.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$546 ₸247.0K

207.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$548 ₸247.8K

19.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-35.65%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Aktobe: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Aktobe

$234 26.5% 62.1% $382

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Aktobe

$185 21% 37.2% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Aktobe

$87 9.9% 59.4% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Aktobe

$148 16.8% 13.1% $22

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Aktobe

$143 16.3% 15% $25

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Aktobe

$25 2.9% 73% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Aktobe

$59 6.7% 2% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $307 in Aktobe. 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $41.00 in Aktobe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $185 – making Aktobe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇰🇿 Aktobe

🕒 Local time

02:34 2:34 AM

12:34 12:34 PM

10 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

570,452

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 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 October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Aktobe 12,270 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Aktobe

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 Aktobe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 83%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,321 in Aktobe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 59% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $41.00 in Aktobe. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Aktobe, where all-in costs run around $881, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Aktobe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Aktobe – 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 Aktobe. 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.