Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Arzamas Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Arzamas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,011 in Arzamas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,597 in Arzamas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,182 in Arzamas.

Living in Medellin is roughly 66% more expensive than in Arzamas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Arzamas is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$10.66 ₽901

-24.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$31.71 ₽2,680

50.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$6.90 ₽583

43.33%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$2.42 ₽205

29.34%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.04 ₽87.6

83.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.56 ₽47.01

169.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$1.91 ₽162

63.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$3.14 ₽265

83.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.17 ₽98.7

23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$0.75 ₽63.3

232.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.25 ₽105

41.60%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$1.37 ₽116

116.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$10.29 ₽869

-2.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$5.12 ₽433

97.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$10.12 ₽855

41.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$1.70 ₽144

143.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.59 ₽134

1.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.65 ₽139

36.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$2.76 ₽234

-18.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$0.69 ₽58.0

195.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$0.61 ₽51.8

152.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.41 ₽119

-17.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.66 ₽55.9

98.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$3.16 ₽267

23.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$7.78 ₽657

80.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.05 ₽89.1

65.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$2.05 ₽173

40.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.49 ₽41.66

148.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$2.40 ₽203

-45.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$0.28 ₽23.97

682.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$6.20 ₽524

40.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$0.85 ₽72.1

61.18%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$30.0K ₽2.5M

-7.33%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$32.7K ₽2.8M

9.31%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$114 ₽9,663

55.05%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$6.21 ₽524

123.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$8.09 ₽684

267.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$38.88 ₽3,286

15.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$22.50 ₽1,901

-23.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$5.12 ₽432

29.88%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$289 ₽24.4K

181.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$7,150 ₽604.3K

28.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$65.5 ₽5,535

36.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$56.6 ₽4,784

4.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$112 ₽9,450

23.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$94.1 ₽7,948

8.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$298 ₽25.2K

256.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$317 ₽26.8K

108.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$481 ₽40.6K

292.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$568 ₽48.0K

80.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$2,219 ₽187.5K

88.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,399 ₽118.2K

19.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-47.90%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Arzamas: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $298 in Arzamas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $32.00 in Arzamas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $197 per month, with Arzamas 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 Arzamas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Arzamas differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $1,011 including rent). Arzamas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,516 in Arzamas to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $298 in Arzamas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $1,011 in Arzamas – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,011 in Arzamas versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Arzamas but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Arzamas 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 Arzamas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.