Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Arkhangelsk Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Arkhangelsk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,068 in Arkhangelsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,606 in Arkhangelsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,144 in Arkhangelsk.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 5% less than in Arkhangelsk, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Arkhangelsk 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$9.37 ₽691

-36.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$37.20 ₽2,745

-11.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$6.42 ₽474

10.44%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$2.07 ₽153

-17.39%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$1.16 ₽85.9

-5.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.47 ₽34.91

65.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$2.10 ₽155

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$1.30 ₽95.6

136.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$1.11 ₽81.9

-1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$0.77 ₽56.6

63.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$2.02 ₽149

-31.68%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$1.63 ₽120

34.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$11.28 ₽832

-60.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$5.63 ₽415

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$10.33 ₽762

-13.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$1.63 ₽120

43.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$1.74 ₽128

-39.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$2.28 ₽169

-34.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$2.07 ₽153

-33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$0.72 ₽53.1

59.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$0.64 ₽47.59

81.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$0.92 ₽67.7

-3.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.55 ₽40.34

52.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$3.20 ₽236

-28.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$9.66 ₽713

10.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$1.12 ₽82.8

7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$1.66 ₽123

48.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.49 ₽36.34

75.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$2.27 ₽167

-35.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$1.41 ₽104

39.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$6.31 ₽465

22.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$0.75 ₽55.1

26.67%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$34.9K ₽2.6M

-48.00%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$34.9K ₽2.6M

-24.20%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$153 ₽11.3K

-46.07%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$7.27 ₽537

30.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$9.75 ₽720

148.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$31.82 ₽2,348

-18.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$25.47 ₽1,880

-25.40%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$4.65 ₽343

-15.48%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$323 ₽23.8K

-4.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$6,958 ₽513.4K

-14.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$129 ₽9,527

-54.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$37.34 ₽2,755

-13.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$64.5 ₽4,758

59.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$76.9 ₽5,673

41.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$450 ₽33.2K

5.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$381 ₽28.1K

-0.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$632 ₽46.6K

32.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$569 ₽42.0K

27.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$1,781 ₽131.4K

56.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,332 ₽98.3K

-9.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$585 ₽43.1K

-12.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

15.75

-14.73%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Arkhangelsk: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $450 in Arkhangelsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arkhangelsk pays 14% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $37.00 in Arkhangelsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $206 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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 Arkhangelsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Arkhangelsk differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $1,068 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Arkhangelsk earns 14% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $450 in Arkhangelsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $323 in Arkhangelsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $37.00 in Arkhangelsk. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,068 in Arkhangelsk, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Arkhangelsk. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Arkhangelsk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.