Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Almaty: $1,387 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Almaty

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Almaty $2,883

Medellin costs about 15% more than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Medellin and Almaty sit above the global median – Medellin by 19%, Almaty by 3%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.8K

$13.31 ₸5,991

-39.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 149.9K

$43.37 ₸19.5K

7.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.4K

$8.80 ₸3,959

7.16%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,374

$3.30 ₸1,486

-11.82%

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

$1.75 COP 5,643

$1.37 ₸616

27.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,263

$0.90 ₸406

46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$3.13 ₸1,409

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.9K

$4.10 ₸1,847

35.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,542

$1.66 ₸749

-15.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,858

$0.90 ₸403

171.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,245

$2.06 ₸927

-20.87%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 9,084

$2.37 ₸1,067

18.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 31.2K

$12.64 ₸5,689

-23.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 30.0K

$6.62 ₸2,978

40.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 43.3K

$10.87 ₸4,893

23.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.9K

$1.86 ₸839

115.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,768

$2.37 ₸1,067

-37.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,839

$2.99 ₸1,348

-29.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,253

$2.83 ₸1,273

-20.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,155

$0.77 ₸345

148.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,214

$0.58 ₸262

179.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

$1.59 ₸718

-27.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,063

$0.99 ₸446

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.3K

$2.54 ₸1,145

50.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 42.2K

$11.04 ₸4,969

18.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,136

$1.21 ₸546

32.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,263

$2.41 ₸1,085

-6.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$0.25 ₸113

368.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 241.5K

$21.84 ₸9,831

243.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,098

$1.28 ₸577

-0.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,600

$0.64 ₸289

220.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.4K

$10.74 ₸4,836

-23.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,088

$0.69 ₸312

84.06%

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

$26.8K COP 86.2M

$22.3K ₸10.0M

20.21%

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

$34.4K COP 110.8M

$29.3K ₸13.2M

17.27%

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

$162 COP 522.3K

$87.8 ₸39.5K

84.83%

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

$13.12 COP 42.3K

$10.83 ₸4,874

21.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 90.5K

$17.40 ₸7,831

61.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 142.7K

$69.7 ₸31.4K

-36.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.6K

$26.58 ₸12.0K

-38.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.6K

$6.68 ₸3,009

-8.83%

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

$764 COP 2.5M

$446 ₸200.8K

71.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.7M

$11.9K ₸5.4M

-25.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 273.6K

$93.7 ₸42.2K

-9.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 185.1K

$46.91 ₸21.1K

22.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 424.2K

$143 ₸64.3K

-7.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 308.3K

$133 ₸60.1K

-28.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$773 ₸348.1K

32.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$497 ₸223.9K

21.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.8M

$1,390 ₸625.9K

29.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$880 ₸396.0K

12.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.6M

$2,546 ₸1.1M

54.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.3M

$1,506 ₸678.2K

8.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$834 ₸375.2K

-24.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

20.65

-47.02%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 17.7% $107

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 12.9% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 43% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 12.6% $21

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Almaty

$205 15% 23.5% $39

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Almaty

$27 2% 70% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 47% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $773 in Almaty. 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 33% higher in Almaty, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $251 – making Almaty the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

00:37 12:37 AM

11:37 11:37 AM

11 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.22 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 October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,220 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Almaty 13,850 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Almaty

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 Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $2,080 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $43.00 in Almaty. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Medellin and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 15%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Almaty, where all-in costs run around $1,387, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Almaty it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Almaty – 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 Almaty. 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.