Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Astana

For one person, living is cheaper in Astana: $1,133 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Astana
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Astana Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Astana

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,133

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Astana

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,133 in Astana, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Astana $1,133

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,810 in Astana, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Astana $1,810

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,486 in Astana, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Astana $2,486

Medellin costs about 45% more than Astana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Astana is 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$11.06 ₸5,017

-26.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$38.01 ₸17.2K

23.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$7.89 ₸3,580

20.41%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$2.65 ₸1,200

13.58%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$1.08 ₸488

66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.62 ₸281

127.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$1.34 ₸609

137.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$2.25 ₸1,019

155.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.26 ₸571

19.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$0.60 ₸274

296.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$1.55 ₸705

14.19%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$2.18 ₸988

32.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$11.98 ₸5,435

-14.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$5.79 ₸2,626

70.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$10.57 ₸4,794

32.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.82 ₸826

118.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$2.31 ₸1,048

-32.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$2.29 ₸1,038

-4.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$2.19 ₸991

-0.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$0.66 ₸298

196.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$0.46 ₸209

245.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$1.53 ₸692

-24.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.90 ₸410

37.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$2.37 ₸1,074

67.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$10.93 ₸4,956

25.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$1.30 ₸588

27.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$2.35 ₸1,066

-3.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.25 ₸114

368.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$16.60 ₸7,527

366.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$2.27 ₸1,027

-44.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$1.13 ₸512

81.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$6.62 ₸3,003

29.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$0.69 ₸311

95.65%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$28.0K ₸12.7M

21.51%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$31.7K ₸14.4M

9.54%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$68.4 ₸31.0K

148.03%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$10.08 ₸4,572

34.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$18.13 ₸8,222

54.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$58.7 ₸26.6K

-25.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$20.67 ₸9,373

-16.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$6.27 ₸2,844

10.21%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$487 ₸221.0K

63.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$11.7K ₸5.3M

-22.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$64.6 ₸29.3K

31.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$46.35 ₸21.0K

25.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$120 ₸54.2K

12.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$126 ₸57.2K

-22.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$564 ₸255.8K

114.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$391 ₸177.5K

63.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,151 ₸521.8K

76.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$769 ₸348.6K

31.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$1,560 ₸707.4K

167.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,120 ₸508.0K

70.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$867 ₸393.0K

-24.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

14.83

-26.23%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Astana: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Astana

$391 34.5% 39% $250

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Astana

$226 20% 23.9% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Astana

$97 8.5% 54.3% $115

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Astana

$162 14.3% 4.5% $7.7

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Astana

$161 14.2% 5% $8.5

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Astana

$26 2.3% 72.7% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Astana

$71 6.3% 23.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $564 in Astana. 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 32% higher in Astana, 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 in Medellin versus $38 in Astana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $226 – making Astana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇰🇿 Astana

🕒 Local time

14:50 2:50 PM

00:50 12:50 AM

10 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

814,400 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 454 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Astana 12,900 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Astana

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 Astana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $1,133 in Astana – Astana comes out roughly 31% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,700 in Astana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Astana, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $564 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $487 in Astana. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 31% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,133 in Astana, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,133 in Astana to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Astana is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 31% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.