Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kalush Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kalush

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $606 in Kalush, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,009 in Kalush, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $1,413 in Kalush, rent included.

Medellin costs about 177% more than Kalush, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Kalush is 56% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$6.52 ₴291

23.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$12.29 ₴548

289.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$5.51 ₴246

79.49%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$1.00 ₴44.51

213.00%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$0.71 ₴31.83

169.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.51 ₴22.83

196.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$1.11 ₴49.33

181.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$1.83 ₴81.8

214.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.22 ₴54.4

18.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$0.66 ₴29.31

277.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.31 ₴58.3

35.11%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$1.48 ₴65.8

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$8.99 ₴401

12.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$4.51 ₴201

124.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$7.01 ₴313

103.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$1.17 ₴52.0

253.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.53 ₴68.1

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.55 ₴69.2

45.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$2.19 ₴97.7

2.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$0.63 ₴28.19

223.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$0.47 ₴21.17

227.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.55 ₴69.3

-24.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.57 ₴25.55

129.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$2.60 ₴116

50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$4.43 ₴198

216.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$0.82 ₴36.44

112.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$1.34 ₴59.7

114.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.31 ₴14.03

293.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$10.38 ₴463

675.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$1.15 ₴51.4

13.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$0.35 ₴15.43

525.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$4.35 ₴194

100.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.57 ₴70.2

-12.74%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$32.4K ₴1.4M

-14.20%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$23.9K ₴1.1M

49.71%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$87.6 ₴3,907

102.42%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$5.01 ₴223

177.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$3.84 ₴171

673.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$26.54 ₴1,184

69.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$14.37 ₴641

19.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$4.36 ₴195

52.52%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$271 ₴12.1K

199.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$3,875 ₴172.8K

137.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$56.4 ₴2,514

58.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$40.01 ₴1,785

47.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$84.3 ₴3,760

63.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$101 ₴4,506

1.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$137 ₴6,107

675.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$89.2 ₴3,980

642.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$262 ₴11.7K

621.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$317 ₴14.1K

224.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$1,068 ₴47.6K

291.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$799 ₴35.7K

109.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$264 ₴11.8K

156.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

17.89

-38.85%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Kalush: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $137 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 run about 157% 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $12.00 in Kalush. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $164 – making Kalush the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 177%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $909 in Kalush. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kalush, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $12.00 in Kalush. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,681 in Medellin and $606 in Kalush. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kalush, where all-in costs run around $606, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Kalush it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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