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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,087 in Arkhangelsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,603 in Arkhangelsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $2,118 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 23% lower, Arkhangelsk 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$9.54 ₽750

-35.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$36.15 ₽2,840

-9.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$6.52 ₽512

12.58%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$2.14 ₽168

-19.63%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$1.17 ₽92.1

-10.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.51 ₽40.38

50.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$2.11 ₽166

-19.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$1.24 ₽97.2

155.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.12 ₽88.0

-6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.77 ₽60.9

68.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.97 ₽155

-28.93%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$1.65 ₽130

30.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$11.23 ₽882

-60.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$5.85 ₽460

0.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$10.33 ₽812

-16.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$1.63 ₽128

39.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.80 ₽141

-38.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$2.31 ₽181

-33.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$2.01 ₽158

-32.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.72 ₽56.7

56.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.60 ₽47.51

88.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.99 ₽77.6

-14.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.59 ₽46.17

54.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$3.20 ₽251

-26.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$9.30 ₽731

33.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.13 ₽88.6

6.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.68 ₽132

48.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.54 ₽42.06

55.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$2.24 ₽176

-36.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$1.35 ₽106

42.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$6.18 ₽486

23.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$0.73 ₽57.0

35.62%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$34.7K ₽2.7M

-48.04%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$35.3K ₽2.8M

-24.55%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$151 ₽11.8K

-46.41%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$7.25 ₽569

37.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$9.58 ₽753

152.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$32.05 ₽2,518

-21.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$25.07 ₽1,970

-23.61%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$4.50 ₽353

-11.56%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$321 ₽25.2K

-5.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$6,874 ₽540.0K

-11.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$126 ₽9,884

-53.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$38.17 ₽2,999

-15.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$62.3 ₽4,895

61.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$76.2 ₽5,983

41.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$444 ₽34.9K

7.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$381 ₽29.9K

-1.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$646 ₽50.8K

30.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$564 ₽44.3K

29.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$1,697 ₽133.3K

89.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,262 ₽99.2K

8.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$552 ₽43.4K

11.66%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Arkhangelsk: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $444 in Arkhangelsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $36.00 in Arkhangelsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $208 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 ($1,031 vs $1,087 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $477 in Medellin versus $444 in Arkhangelsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $321 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 $36.00 in Arkhangelsk. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,087 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.