Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Atyrau

For one person, living is cheaper in Atyrau: $1,022 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Atyrau
Learn more

Atyrau Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Atyrau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,022

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Atyrau

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,022 in Atyrau, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Atyrau $1,022

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,690 in Atyrau, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Atyrau $1,690

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,358 in Atyrau, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Atyrau $2,358

Medellin costs about 60% more than Atyrau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Atyrau is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$9.88 ₸4,484

-18.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$37.21 ₸16.9K

26.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$7.53 ₸3,417

26.16%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$2.13 ₸964

41.31%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.16 ₸528

55.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.84 ₸381

67.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$1.65 ₸747

92.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$2.08 ₸945

176.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.75 ₸794

-13.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.48 ₸218

395.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$2.01 ₸913

-11.94%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$1.55 ₸701

86.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$11.16 ₸5,064

-8.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$8.35 ₸3,789

18.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$8.11 ₸3,677

72.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.77 ₸803

124.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$2.74 ₸1,242

-43.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$2.21 ₸1,002

-1.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.80 ₸816

21.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$0.65 ₸297

201.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$0.41 ₸186

287.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$1.25 ₸568

-8.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.96 ₸436

29.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$2.48 ₸1,125

59.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$9.17 ₸4,160

49.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.38 ₸625

20.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$1.42 ₸643

59.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.34 ₸155

244.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$21.99 ₸9,973

251.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.54 ₸698

-17.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.72 ₸326

184.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$6.54 ₸2,967

30.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$0.66 ₸301

104.55%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$17.7K ₸8.0M

92.22%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$29.0K ₸13.1M

19.60%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$52.1 ₸23.6K

225.62%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$11.04 ₸5,006

22.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$14.67 ₸6,655

91.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$66.3 ₸30.1K

-34.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$10.11 ₸4,586

70.03%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$6.15 ₸2,788

12.36%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$288 ₸130.7K

176.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$3,426 ₸1.6M

165.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$32.74 ₸14.9K

158.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$44.83 ₸20.3K

29.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$90.1 ₸40.9K

49.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$89.8 ₸40.7K

9.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$530 ₸240.3K

128.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$347 ₸157.4K

84.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,146 ₸519.8K

76.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$781 ₸354.3K

29.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$946 ₸429.0K

340.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$752 ₸341.1K

154.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$740 ₸335.7K

-11.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-63.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Atyrau: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Atyrau

$347 34% 45.9% $295

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Atyrau

$227 22.2% 23.7% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Atyrau

$78 7.6% 63.2% $133

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Atyrau

$148 14.4% 13% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Atyrau

$116 11.3% 31.4% $53

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Atyrau

$28 2.8% 69.6% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Atyrau

$79 7.7% 36.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $530 in Atyrau. 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 13% higher in Atyrau, 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 $37 in Atyrau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $227 – making Atyrau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇰🇿 Atyrau

🕒 Local time

01:16 1:16 AM

11:16 11:16 AM

10 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

323,295

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 2, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Atyrau 12,160 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Atyrau

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 Atyrau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $1,022 in Atyrau – Atyrau comes out roughly 38% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,533 in Atyrau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Atyrau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $530 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $288 in Atyrau. 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 $1,022 in Atyrau, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Atyrau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Atyrau is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 38% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.