Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Darkhan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Darkhan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $654 in Darkhan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,049 in Darkhan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,444 in Darkhan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 151% more expensive than in Darkhan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Darkhan is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$5.67 MNT 20.4K

41.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$32.43 MNT 116.6K

48.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$5.52 MNT 19.8K

70.65%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.40 MNT 8,614

22.50%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.89 MNT 3,199

108.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.60 MNT 2,172

143.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.32 MNT 8,335

38.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.35 MNT 12.0K

70.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.40 MNT 5,037

2.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.97 MNT 3,501

147.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$2.09 MNT 7,531

-18.66%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.12 MNT 7,608

36.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$12.48 MNT 44.9K

-19.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$5.03 MNT 18.1K

98.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$7.03 MNT 25.3K

101.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.24 MNT 11.7K

22.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$2.48 MNT 8,908

-36.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$3.67 MNT 13.2K

-41.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$3.05 MNT 11.0K

-24.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.72 MNT 2,587

177.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.03 MNT 3,709

46.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.72 MNT 6,187

-30.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.78 MNT 2,795

64.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$1.78 MNT 6,407

115.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$10.33 MNT 37.1K

35.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.51 MNT 5,419

13.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$1.79 MNT 6,453

53.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$0.51 MNT 1,829

156.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.58 MNT 2,090

274.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$6.28 MNT 22.6K

32.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.12 MNT 4,020

21.43%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$27.0K MNT 97.2M

1.67%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$35.1K MNT 126.3M

4.05%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$71.4 MNT 256.7K

136.34%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$7.70 MNT 27.7K

76.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$13.72 MNT 49.3K

106.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$4.21 MNT 15.1K

57.96%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$810 MNT 2.9M

-0.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$8,602 MNT 30.9M

6.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$82.4 MNT 296.1K

6.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$46.15 MNT 165.9K

28.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$103 MNT 370.3K

34.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$190 MNT 683.3K

-46.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.32

6.01%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Darkhan: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $32.00 in Darkhan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $237 per month, with Darkhan 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 Darkhan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Darkhan wins on cost – living expenses run 151% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Darkhan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $981 in Darkhan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $810 in Darkhan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Darkhan – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $654 in Darkhan versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Darkhan but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Darkhan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Darkhan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $654 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Darkhan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Darkhan 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 Darkhan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 151% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.