Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bishkek Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bishkek

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $889 in Bishkek.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,368 in Bishkek.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,847 in Bishkek.

Living in Medellin is roughly 16% more expensive than Bishkek, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Bishkek 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$6.46 KGS 566

-8.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$21.00 KGS 1,838

55.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$5.59 KGS 489

28.80%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.01 KGS 176

-15.42%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.68 KGS 59.8

61.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.33 KGS 28.56

118.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.16 KGS 101

43.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$1.67 KGS 146

85.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$0.96 KGS 83.7

10.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.46 KGS 40.11

171.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.57 KGS 138

-11.46%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.73 KGS 151

30.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$7.91 KGS 692

-45.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$4.94 KGS 432

18.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$7.97 KGS 698

10.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.10 KGS 96.5

103.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.93 KGS 169

-44.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$2.01 KGS 176

-23.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.69 KGS 148

-18.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.54 KGS 47.41

109.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.49 KGS 42.60

128.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.60 KGS 52.1

41.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.47 KGS 41.25

93.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$1.77 KGS 155

31.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$8.06 KGS 705

38.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.16 KGS 102

2.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.90 KGS 166

24.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.22 KGS 19.25

259.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$11.72 KGS 1,026

250.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$1.40 KGS 123

2.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.24 KGS 21.12

695.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$3.37 KGS 295

137.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$0.85 KGS 74.1

10.59%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$38.4K KGS 3.4M

-53.37%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$34.3K KGS 3.0M

-21.98%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$34.11 KGS 2,985

146.14%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$6.92 KGS 606

38.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$11.63 KGS 1,017

107.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$41.99 KGS 3,675

-38.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$15.56 KGS 1,362

22.37%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$4.48 KGS 392

-12.50%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$197 KGS 17.3K

55.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$4,484 KGS 392.5K

31.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$37.79 KGS 3,307

53.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$39.30 KGS 3,440

-19.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$95.7 KGS 8,378

4.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$103 KGS 9,051

3.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$501 KGS 43.9K

-2.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$367 KGS 32.1K

0.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$899 KGS 78.7K

-8.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$618 KGS 54.1K

15.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$1,609 KGS 140.8K

81.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,157 KGS 101.3K

21.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$461 KGS 40.3K

18.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

20.2

-33.51%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Bishkek: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $501 in Bishkek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $21.00 in Bishkek for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $170 per month, with Bishkek 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 Bishkek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bishkek is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Medellin pays 18% 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: $487 in Medellin versus $501 in Bishkek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Medellin versus $197 in Bishkek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $889 in Bishkek versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bishkek but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bishkek the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bishkek is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Bishkek 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 Bishkek gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.