Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Astrakhan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Astrakhan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,037 in Astrakhan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,524 in Astrakhan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $2,012 in Astrakhan.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 1% less than in Astrakhan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Astrakhan 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$10.95 ₽794

-45.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.5K

$33.35 ₽2,417

-1.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.4K

$7.42 ₽537

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,659

$1.85 ₽134

-10.81%

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

$1.07 COP 3,663

$0.90 ₽65.3

18.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,607

$0.49 ₽35.66

55.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,908

$1.29 ₽93.3

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$2.48 ₽180

29.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,597

$1.28 ₽92.7

-17.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,479

$1.06 ₽76.5

23.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,591

$1.02 ₽74.2

31.37%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,521

$1.75 ₽127

25.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.1K

$24.93 ₽1,806

-82.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.5K

$4.86 ₽352

17.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.2K

$6.72 ₽487

26.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,023

$1.56 ₽113

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,804

$1.74 ₽126

-36.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,210

$1.60 ₽116

-5.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,680

$2.38 ₽173

-42.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,950

$0.91 ₽65.8

26.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,043

$0.61 ₽43.85

93.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,885

$1.41 ₽103

-40.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,931

$0.60 ₽43.41

43.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,753

$1.88 ₽136

20.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.8K

$4.19 ₽304

176.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,109

$1.05 ₽76.2

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,484

$1.86 ₽135

33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,721

$0.49 ₽35.65

61.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

$22.34 ₽1,619

82.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,023

$2.59 ₽188

-43.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,568

$0.35 ₽25.52

448.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.6K

$3.70 ₽268

110.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,464

$0.86 ₽62.2

17.44%

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

$17.7K COP 60.5M

$34.3K ₽2.5M

-48.59%

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

$26.5K COP 90.7M

$31.2K ₽2.3M

-15.28%

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

$81.1 COP 277.9K

$103 ₽7,463

-21.26%

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

$9.43 COP 32.3K

$6.51 ₽472

44.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 81.8K

$5.36 ₽388

345.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.1K

$49.57 ₽3,592

-47.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.1K

$24.56 ₽1,780

-23.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.0K

$5.51 ₽400

-25.77%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$115 ₽8,331

173.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.6M

$7,031 ₽509.5K

-14.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 204.6K

$57.8 ₽4,191

3.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.6K

$31.81 ₽2,305

0.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 346.9K

$90.0 ₽6,519

12.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 360.3K

$126 ₽9,094

-16.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$421 ₽30.5K

15.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$323 ₽23.4K

12.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$447 ₽32.4K

84.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$381 ₽27.6K

91.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$1,395 ₽101.1K

114.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$688 ₽49.9K

91.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

$443 ₽32.1K

24.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

15.33

-12.39%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Astrakhan: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $421 in Astrakhan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 24% 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 $33.00 in Astrakhan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $224 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 Astrakhan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Astrakhan differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,028 vs $1,037 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 24% more on average, 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: $485 in Medellin versus $421 in Astrakhan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 83% less than in Astrakhan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $315 in Medellin versus $115 in Astrakhan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,037 in Astrakhan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Astrakhan. 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 1% less than in Astrakhan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.