Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ashgabat

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,589 a month against $3,331 in Ashgabat, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
164

Cost of Living Index in Ashgabat
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Ashgabat Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Ashgabat

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$3,331

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Ashgabat

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Medellin versus $3,331 in Ashgabat.

Medellin $1,589
Ashgabat $3,331

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,364 in Medellin versus $5,094 in Ashgabat.

Medellin $2,364
Ashgabat $5,094

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,139 in Medellin versus $6,857 in Ashgabat.

Medellin $3,139
Ashgabat $6,857

Living in Medellin costs roughly 52% less than in Ashgabat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 19% above, Ashgabat 149% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.8K

$31.23 TMT 105

-74.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 149.9K

$85.1 TMT 285

-45.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.4K

$12.65 TMT 42.39

-25.45%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,374

$6.59 TMT 22.07

-55.84%

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

$1.75 COP 5,643

$1.53 TMT 5.14

14.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,263

$0.82 TMT 2.74

60.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$5.67 TMT 18.98

-44.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.9K

$13.74 TMT 46.04

-59.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,542

$4.48 TMT 15.00

-68.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,858

$2.05 TMT 6.88

19.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,245

$5.82 TMT 19.48

-71.99%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 9,084

$5.93 TMT 19.87

-52.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 31.2K

$37.90 TMT 127

-74.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 30.0K

$20.09 TMT 67.3

-53.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 43.3K

$23.50 TMT 78.7

-42.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.9K

$4.98 TMT 16.70

-19.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,768

$8.53 TMT 28.58

-82.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,839

$7.32 TMT 24.52

-71.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,253

$3.61 TMT 12.09

-37.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,155

$2.33 TMT 7.80

-18.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,214

$1.46 TMT 4.90

10.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

$2.69 TMT 9.00

-57.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,063

$1.12 TMT 3.74

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.3K

$25.56 TMT 85.6

-85.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 42.2K

$42.09 TMT 141

-68.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,136

$5.26 TMT 17.62

-69.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,263

$2.89 TMT 9.67

-21.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$0.15 TMT 0.49

680.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 241.5K

$9.89 TMT 33.13

658.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,098

$2.90 TMT 9.73

-56.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,600

$0.88 TMT 2.96

132.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.4K

$8.41 TMT 28.17

-2.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,088

$0.44 TMT 1.48

188.64%

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

$26.8K COP 86.2M

$44.6K TMT 149.3K

-39.91%

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

$34.4K COP 110.8M

$57.2K TMT 191.5K

-39.80%

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

$162 COP 522.3K

$580 TMT 1,944

-72.05%

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

$13.12 COP 42.3K

$56.8 TMT 190

-76.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 90.5K

$103 TMT 347

-72.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 142.7K

$191 TMT 640

-76.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.6K

$45.50 TMT 152

-64.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.6K

$8.53 TMT 28.58

-28.60%

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

$764 COP 2.5M

$23.05 TMT 77.2

3215.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.7M

$24.8K TMT 83.0K

-64.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 273.6K

$54.8 TMT 184

55.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 185.1K

$115 TMT 385

-49.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 424.2K

$365 TMT 1,224

-63.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 308.3K

$189 TMT 632

-49.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$1,402 TMT 4,695

-26.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$1,000 TMT 3,351

-39.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.8M

$2,288 TMT 7,663

-21.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$1,920 TMT 6,433

-48.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.6M

$3,527 TMT 11.8K

11.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.3M

$2,813 TMT 9,422

-41.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$736 TMT 2,467

-14.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.5

15.16%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Ashgabat: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Ashgabat

$1K 29.5% 65.5% $396

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Ashgabat

$671 19.8% 133% $382

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Ashgabat

$741 21.8% 264% $537

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Ashgabat

$326 9.6% 95.6% $159

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Ashgabat

$432 12.7% 160% $266

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Ashgabat

$18 0.5% 80.5% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Ashgabat

$208 6.1% 268% $152

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $1,402 in Ashgabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashgabat pays 18% 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: $47.00 in Medellin vs $85.0 in Ashgabat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $671 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇹🇲 Ashgabat

🕒 Local time

02:36 2:36 AM

12:36 12:36 PM

10 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

909,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1 TMT = 0.299 USD

1 TMT = 0.266 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TMT, 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).

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.35 TMT (1 TMT = 0.299 USD). 1 EUR = 3.76 TMT (1 TMT = 0.266 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Ashgabat 13,180 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
Ashgabat

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 Ashgabat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Ashgabat differ by about 110% in total monthly costs ($1,589 vs $3,331 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Ashgabat. 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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,402 in Ashgabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $764 in Medellin versus $23.05 in Ashgabat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 133% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,589 in Medellin versus $3,331 in Ashgabat, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ashgabat. 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Ashgabat are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 110% less than in Ashgabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.