Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Khost

For one person, living is cheaper in Khost: $403 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 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
19

Cost of Living Index in Khost
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Khost Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Khost

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$403

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Khost

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $403 in Khost.

Medellin $1,692
Khost $403

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $593 in Khost.

Medellin $2,471
Khost $593

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $783 in Khost.

Medellin $3,249
Khost $783

Living in Medellin is roughly 320% more expensive than in Khost, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Khost is 70% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$2.70 ؋175

208.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$7.50 ؋487

520.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$4.71 ؋306

101.06%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 ؋152

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 ؋122

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$1.11 ؋72.3

181.98%

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

$1.77 COP 5,727

$0.49 ؋32.02

261.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,619

$0.16 ؋10.36

787.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,969

$0.82 ؋53.1

86.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,429

$0.25 ؋16.29

816.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,306

$1.80 ؋117

7.78%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,942

$1.56 ؋101

96.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$4.46 ؋290

123.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$3.94 ؋256

165.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$6.59 ؋429

111.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$0.68 ؋43.99

495.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,956

$0.89 ؋58.0

71.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,823

$0.94 ؋60.9

123.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,437

$0.52 ؋33.60

340.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,839

$0.65 ؋42.28

224.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,542

$0.47 ؋30.69

263.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,794

$0.28 ؋18.12

317.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,123

$0.37 ؋23.76

327.03%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.87 ؋121

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ؋51.0

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 ؋68.1

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$2.41 ؋156

62.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,712

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,793

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,825

$0.48 ؋31.18

145.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

$18.31 ؋1,190

316.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,859

$0.81 ؋52.4

123.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,904

$0.45 ؋29.16

373.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$2.27 ؋148

258.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,135

$1.08 ؋70.5

18.52%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$8,337 ؋541.9K

313.08%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$33.8K ؋2.2M

0.95%

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

$178 COP 576.3K

$42.02 ؋2,732

322.97%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$13.11 ؋852

5.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$95.6 ؋6,217

-67.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

$7.79 ؋506

438.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

$6.29 ؋409

167.09%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$2.27 ؋148

229.07%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$20.48 ؋1,331

3757.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$1,034 ؋67.2K

1089.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 279.9K

$10.84 ؋705

696.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$15.86 ؋1,031

273.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.6K

$57.4 ؋3,734

140.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.4K

$25.23 ؋1,640

291.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$31.24 ؋2,030

4192.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$15.55 ؋1,011

4190.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$77.3 ؋5,026

2455.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$46.16 ؋3,000

2137.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$188 ؋12.2K

244.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.40%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Khost: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Khost

$16 3.9% 97.7% $652

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Khost

$100 24.9% 67.3% $207

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Khost

$151 37.4% 32.2% $72

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Khost

$52 12.8% 70.1% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Khost

$49 12.2% 71.4% $123

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Khost

$23 5.8% 75.1% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Khost

$12 3.1% 78.3% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,341 in Medellin and $31 in Khost. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 3.4 times more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $7 in Khost for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $100 per month, with Khost cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇦🇫 Khost

🕒 Local time

22:38 10:38 PM

08:08 8:08 AM

9 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

11,987

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AFN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,650 COP (10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR).

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 65 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 73.17 AFN (100 AFN = 1.37 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Khost 14,310 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Khost

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 Khost: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Khost is about 76% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Medellin is about 3.4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,341 in Medellin versus $31 in Khost. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Khost – a meal for two runs $7 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,692 per month in Medellin versus $403 in Khost – Khost is about 76% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $403 in Khost versus $1,692 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Khost but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Khost the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Khost gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.