Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dushanbe

For one person, living is cheaper in Dushanbe: $930 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Dushanbe
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Dushanbe Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Dushanbe

🇹🇯 Tajikistan

$930

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Dushanbe

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $930 in Dushanbe, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Dushanbe $930

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,381 in Dushanbe, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Dushanbe $1,381

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,831 in Dushanbe, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Dushanbe $1,831

Medellin costs about 82% more than Dushanbe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Dushanbe is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$4.83 TJS 44.46

72.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.3K

$20.78 TJS 191

123.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$5.60 TJS 51.5

69.11%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$1.76 TJS 16.18

77.84%

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

$1.77 COP 5,704

$0.62 TJS 5.72

185.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,600

$0.37 TJS 3.36

283.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.23 TJS 11.33

156.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$2.34 TJS 21.52

143.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,949

$1.06 TJS 9.75

44.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,399

$0.65 TJS 5.97

252.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,281

$2.44 TJS 22.45

-20.49%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,902

$1.84 TJS 16.92

66.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

$11.00 TJS 101

-9.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$4.39 TJS 40.45

138.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

$11.67 TJS 108

19.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$1.83 TJS 16.89

121.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,936

$2.80 TJS 25.74

-45.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,795

$2.65 TJS 24.37

-20.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,407

$1.29 TJS 11.84

77.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,812

$0.63 TJS 5.84

234.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,519

$0.40 TJS 3.68

327.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,779

$1.30 TJS 11.95

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,102

$0.62 TJS 5.74

154.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$3.71 TJS 34.12

5.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.4K

$11.44 TJS 105

22.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,689

$1.46 TJS 13.46

20.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,758

$2.11 TJS 19.40

28.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,810

$0.28 TJS 2.60

321.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.4K

$16.04 TJS 148

375.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,835

$1.12 TJS 10.27

61.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,876

$0.34 TJS 3.16

526.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

$6.65 TJS 61.2

22.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,118

$1.19 TJS 10.97

7.56%

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

$16.2K TJS 149.0K

112.84%

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

$34.1K COP 110.2M

$24.0K TJS 221.3K

42.02%

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

$178 COP 573.9K

$68.5 TJS 631

159.42%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$10.12 TJS 93.2

37.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.3K

$17.59 TJS 162

74.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.4K

$44.84 TJS 413

-6.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.3K

$14.31 TJS 132

17.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$5.58 TJS 51.4

33.87%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$84.7 TJS 779

833.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$5,215 TJS 48.0K

135.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.8K

$24.71 TJS 228

249.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.4K

$60.1 TJS 554

-1.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.7K

$77.1 TJS 709

79.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.1K

$56.8 TJS 523

73.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$624 TJS 5,742

115.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$351 TJS 3,236

89.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$893 TJS 8,219

121.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$558 TJS 5,142

84.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$1,292 TJS 11.9K

217.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$716 TJS 6,596

170.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$436 TJS 4,019

48.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

23.17

-52.78%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Dushanbe: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Dushanbe

$351 37.8% 47.3% $316

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Dushanbe

$217 23.3% 29.4% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Dushanbe

$96 10.3% 56.7% $126

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Dushanbe

$91 9.8% 47.1% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Dushanbe

$98 10.6% 42.9% $74

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Dushanbe

$20 2.2% 78.6% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Dushanbe

$56 6% 1.5% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $624 in Dushanbe. 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 48% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $21 in Dushanbe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $217 – making Dushanbe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇹🇯 Dushanbe

🕒 Local time

15:48 3:48 PM

01:48 1:48 AM

10 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

679,400 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Tajikistani Somoni TJS ЅМ

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100 TJS = 10.86 USD

100 TJS = 9.72 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TJS, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,609 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Tajikistani Somoni exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 9.21 TJS (1 TJS = 0.109 USD). 1 EUR = 10.29 TJS (100 TJS = 9.72 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Dushanbe 13,820 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Dushanbe

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 Dushanbe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 82%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $1,395 in Dushanbe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dushanbe, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $624 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

Kindergarten costs $790 per month in Medellin and $85 in Dushanbe. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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

If budget matters most, go with Dushanbe. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.