Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kholmsk Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kholmsk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,030 in Medellin versus $966 in Kholmsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,479 in Kholmsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,993 in Kholmsk.

Living in Medellin is roughly 7% more expensive than Kholmsk, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Kholmsk 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.2K

$9.57 ₽718

-38.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 118.7K

$37.48 ₽2,813

-11.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 25.9K

$5.87 ₽441

23.51%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,137

$2.28 ₽171

-25.00%

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

$1.09 COP 3,915

$1.13 ₽84.7

-3.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,743

$0.48 ₽35.96

60.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,254

$1.41 ₽106

24.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.4K

$2.60 ₽195

22.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,792

$1.11 ₽83.3

-4.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,657

$0.69 ₽52.1

88.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,926

$1.44 ₽108

-4.17%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,908

$2.19 ₽164

0.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.2K

$10.76 ₽807

-57.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.7K

$4.84 ₽363

19.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.1K

$8.77 ₽658

2.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,182

$1.81 ₽136

26.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,791

$1.89 ₽142

-43.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,411

$1.92 ₽144

-21.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,869

$2.76 ₽207

-50.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,146

$0.84 ₽63.1

38.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,174

$0.67 ₽50.5

74.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,960

$1.34 ₽101

-38.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,043

$0.67 ₽50.5

26.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,423

$2.96 ₽222

-20.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.7K

$7.85 ₽589

41.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,133

$1.03 ₽77.2

11.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,853

$1.88 ₽141

31.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,827

$0.53 ₽39.86

49.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,140

$1.85 ₽139

-22.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,793

$0.35 ₽26.55

442.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.6K

$6.26 ₽470

23.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,680

$0.74 ₽55.3

39.19%

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

$17.7K COP 63.3M

$34.3K ₽2.6M

-48.51%

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

$27.0K COP 96.7M

$35.1K ₽2.6M

-23.08%

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

$81.4 COP 291.4K

$110 ₽8,246

-25.91%

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

$9.42 COP 33.7K

$6.03 ₽452

56.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 85.1K

$8.02 ₽602

196.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 92.6K

$35.90 ₽2,694

-27.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.2K

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.5K

$4.94 ₽371

-18.02%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$318 ₽23.8K

-1.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.7M

$7,051 ₽529.1K

-13.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 210.7K

$71.1 ₽5,338

-17.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 117.5K

$44.95 ₽3,373

-26.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 359.6K

$115 ₽8,644

-12.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 380.3K

$107 ₽8,055

-1.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.8M

$440 ₽33.0K

11.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$301 ₽22.6K

23.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$776 ₽58.2K

8.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$509 ₽38.2K

40.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.6M

$997 ₽74.8K

196.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

$1,522 ₽114.2K

-8.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

$596 ₽44.7K

-10.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

18.33

-26.73%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Last update for Kholmsk: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Medellin and $440 in Kholmsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kholmsk pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33 in Medellin vs $37 in Kholmsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $199 per month, with Medellin 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 Kholmsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kholmsk wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kholmsk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Kholmsk earns 12% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $490 in Medellin versus $440 in Kholmsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,030 per month in Medellin versus $966 in Kholmsk – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $966 in Kholmsk versus $1,030 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kholmsk but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kholmsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kholmsk delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $966 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kholmsk hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Kholmsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.