Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kalush

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalush: $593 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Kalush, Ukraine
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Kalush
🇺🇦 Ukraine
$593
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kalush

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $593 in Kalush, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Kalush $593

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $996 in Kalush, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Kalush $996

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,398 in Kalush, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Kalush $1,398

Medellin costs about 185% more than Kalush, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Kalush is 56% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Kalush
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 26.9K
$6.44 ₴293
29.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.3K
$12.04 ₴548
286.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.6K
$5.37 ₴245
76.35%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$0.95 ₴43.10
229.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,705
$0.59 ₴27.08
200.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,601
$0.42 ₴19.17
238.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$1.09 ₴49.60
188.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.4K
$1.67 ₴76.1
241.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Kalush
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,950
$1.15 ₴52.4
33.04%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,401
$0.62 ₴28.28
269.35%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,282
$1.37 ₴62.5
41.61%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,905
$1.42 ₴64.9
116.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.3K
$8.63 ₴393
15.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.7K
$4.37 ₴199
139.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.1K
$7.09 ₴323
96.90%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$1.06 ₴48.49
282.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,937
$1.55 ₴70.7
-1.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,797
$1.57 ₴71.7
33.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,409
$2.15 ₴97.9
6.51%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,813
$0.74 ₴33.84
185.14%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,521
$0.44 ₴20.26
288.64%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,780
$1.17 ₴53.4
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,104
$0.53 ₴24.14
198.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.6K
$3.14 ₴143
24.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.4K
$4.30 ₴196
226.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,690
$0.83 ₴37.91
112.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,760
$1.43 ₴65.2
89.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Kalush
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,811
$0.31 ₴14.31
280.65%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 246.4K
$15.05 ₴685
406.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,836
$1.11 ₴50.8
63.06%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,878
$0.35 ₴15.98
508.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.3K
$4.25 ₴193
91.29%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,119
$1.33 ₴60.4
-3.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.2M
$34.0K ₴1.5M
1.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.3M
$21.4K ₴976.6K
59.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Kalush
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 574.1K
$84.3 ₴3,838
110.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 44.9K
$4.77 ₴217
191.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.3K
$3.86 ₴176
696.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Kalush
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 135.5K
$26.19 ₴1,193
60.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.3K
$15.23 ₴694
10.31%
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.1K
$4.35 ₴198
71.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Kalush
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.6M
$280 ₴12.8K
182.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.7M
$4,084 ₴186.0K
201.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Kalush
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 278.9K
$53.7 ₴2,447
60.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 191.4K
$36.34 ₴1,655
63.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 446.9K
$74.6 ₴3,398
85.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 319.2K
$74.6 ₴3,398
32.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Kalush
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$129 ₴5,880
938.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$87.5 ₴3,983
662.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$249 ₴11.4K
692.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$319 ₴14.5K
223.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.2M
$1,130 ₴51.5K
262.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
$850 ₴38.7K
128.23%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Kalush
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
$261 ₴11.9K
147.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
17.6
-37.84%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kalush: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Kalush
$87 86.9% $580
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Kalush
$159 48.1% $148
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Kalush
$93 58.2% $129
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Kalush
$92 46.8% $81
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Kalush
$108 37.5% $65
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Kalush
$19 79.5% $74
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Kalush
$35 38.7% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $129 in Kalush. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 2.5 times higher, 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 $12 in Kalush. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $159 – making Kalush the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇺🇦 Kalush
🕒 Local time
21:10 9:10 PM
04:10 4:10 AM
7 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
67,559
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

UAH, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,626 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 45.54 UAH (100 UAH = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 51.12 UAH (100 UAH = 1.96 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Kalush 10,200 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Kalush

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 Kalush: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kalush cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 185%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $890 in Kalush. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kalush, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $129 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Kalush?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $12 in Kalush. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Kalush?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $593 in Kalush. That makes Kalush about 65% cheaper.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Kalush?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kalush, where all-in costs run around $593, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Kalush it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Kalush more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Kalush – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Kalush. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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