Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kharkiv

For one person, living is cheaper in Kharkiv: $722 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Kharkiv
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Kharkiv Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Kharkiv

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kharkiv

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $722 in Kharkiv, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Kharkiv $722

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,072 in Kharkiv, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Kharkiv $1,072

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,421 in Kharkiv, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Kharkiv $1,421

Medellin costs about 127% more than Kharkiv, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Kharkiv is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$6.54 ₴298

23.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$30.03 ₴1,368

56.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$4.82 ₴220

97.10%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$1.64 ₴74.9

83.54%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$1.04 ₴47.57

73.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.50 ₴22.61

182.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$0.96 ₴43.90

231.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$1.67 ₴75.9

244.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.09 ₴49.49

38.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$0.68 ₴31.03

250.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.22 ₴55.6

45.08%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$1.65 ₴75.0

75.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$8.34 ₴380

22.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$4.07 ₴185

142.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$7.14 ₴325

95.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$1.33 ₴60.4

198.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.51 ₴68.8

2.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$1.57 ₴71.4

38.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$2.10 ₴95.8

3.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$0.72 ₴32.88

172.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$0.54 ₴24.72

194.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$1.20 ₴54.8

-4.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.60 ₴27.26

106.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$2.72 ₴124

45.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$4.32 ₴197

216.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$0.83 ₴37.80

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$1.19 ₴54.4

89.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$1.34 ₴61.1

-5.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$0.32 ₴14.52

540.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$2.13 ₴97.2

301.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.80 ₴82.0

-25.00%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$30.3K ₴1.4M

12.49%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$23.7K ₴1.1M

46.14%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$95.7 ₴4,359

77.24%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$5.93 ₴270

128.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$6.78 ₴309

314.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$24.11 ₴1,098

81.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$13.50 ₴615

27.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$4.62 ₴210

49.57%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$274 ₴12.5K

191.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$2,659 ₴121.1K

242.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$55.5 ₴2,526

52.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$41.95 ₴1,910

38.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$87.9 ₴4,002

53.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$104 ₴4,739

-5.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$274 ₴12.5K

340.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$188 ₴8,540

242.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$496 ₴22.6K

308.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$206 ₴9,368

391.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$1,043 ₴47.5K

299.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$595 ₴27.1K

220.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$516 ₴23.5K

27.29%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kharkiv: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Kharkiv

$188 26% 70.8% $454

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Kharkiv

$159 22% 46.5% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Kharkiv

$108 15% 48.7% $103

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Kharkiv

$101 14% 40.6% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Kharkiv

$130 18% 22.9% $39

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Kharkiv

$2.9 * 0.4% 96.9% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Kharkiv

$33 4.6% 42% $24

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $274 in Kharkiv. 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 27% 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 $30 in Kharkiv. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $159 – making Kharkiv the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇦 Kharkiv

🕒 Local time

17:13 5:13 PM

00:13 12:13 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,447,652

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Ukrainian Hryvnia UAH ₴

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

100 UAH = 2.2 USD

100 UAH = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UAH, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 45.54 UAH (100 UAH = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 50.69 UAH (100 UAH = 1.97 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Kharkiv 10,990 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Kharkiv

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 Kharkiv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 127% more than Kharkiv, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,083 in Kharkiv. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kharkiv, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $274 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $30 in Kharkiv. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 87% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kharkiv, where all-in costs run around $722, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Kharkiv it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kharkiv costs $722 versus $1,639 in Medellin. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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