Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Korolyov Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Korolyov

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $1,259 in Korolyov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,831 in Korolyov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $2,403 in Korolyov.

Living in Medellin is roughly 36% more expensive than in Korolyov, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Korolyov is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$11.47 ₽984

-29.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$58.0 ₽4,974

-16.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$7.10 ₽609

37.61%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$2.37 ₽203

22.78%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$0.67 ₽57.5

189.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.42 ₽36.46

261.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$0.80 ₽68.4

286.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$1.38 ₽118

315.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.18 ₽101

15.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$0.88 ₽75.6

171.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$1.14 ₽98.1

49.12%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$1.24 ₽106

131.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$11.72 ₽1,005

-15.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$5.41 ₽464

99.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$11.77 ₽1,010

25.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.92 ₽165

113.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$1.47 ₽126

6.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$1.77 ₽152

20.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$2.73 ₽234

-19.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$0.61 ₽52.5

236.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$0.64 ₽54.9

134.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$0.94 ₽80.8

26.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.81 ₽69.2

43.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.86 ₽245

36.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$9.23 ₽792

56.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$1.12 ₽96.1

41.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$2.37 ₽203

19.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.97 ₽83.6

20.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$1.50 ₽129

-14.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$0.70 ₽60.1

198.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$9.05 ₽777

-4.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$0.84 ₽71.9

54.76%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$20.5K ₽1.8M

34.68%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$26.8K ₽2.3M

32.46%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$121 ₽10.4K

45.57%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$4.54 ₽390

194.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$7.95 ₽682

275.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$140 ₽12.0K

-68.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$5.18 ₽445

19.69%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$758 ₽65.1K

4.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$22.0K ₽1.9M

-58.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$58.2 ₽4,998

47.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$29.02 ₽2,490

101.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$93.9 ₽8,054

45.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$170 ₽14.6K

-39.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$517 ₽44.4K

105.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$439 ₽37.7K

54.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$788 ₽67.6K

155.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$525 ₽45.1K

122.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$2,335 ₽200.4K

76.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$2,066 ₽177.3K

-17.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$954 ₽81.8K

-30.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

17.5

-37.49%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Korolyov: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $517 in Korolyov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Korolyov pays 43% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $58.0 in Korolyov. Groceries flip the comparison at $303 vs $212, with Korolyov cheaper for home cooking.

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 Korolyov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Korolyov wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Korolyov the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 43% lower in Korolyov. 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $517 in Korolyov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,716 per month in Medellin versus $1,259 in Korolyov – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,259 in Korolyov versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Korolyov but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Korolyov the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Korolyov delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,259 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Korolyov hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Korolyov are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Korolyov gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.