Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Korolyov

For one person, living is cheaper in Korolyov: $1,310 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Korolyov
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Korolyov Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Korolyov

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,310

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Korolyov

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $1,310 in Korolyov.

Medellin $1,625
Korolyov $1,310

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $1,911 in Korolyov.

Medellin $2,412
Korolyov $1,911

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $2,512 in Korolyov.

Medellin $3,199
Korolyov $2,512

Living in Medellin is roughly 24% more expensive than in Korolyov, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Korolyov is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$12.06 ₽1,006

-31.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$61.0 ₽5,093

-23.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$7.42 ₽619

24.53%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$2.79 ₽233

9.32%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.99 ₽82.6

81.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.55 ₽45.79

150.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$1.02 ₽84.9

217.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$1.46 ₽122

280.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.28 ₽107

17.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$0.87 ₽72.9

172.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.22 ₽102

39.34%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$1.58 ₽132

87.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$8.83 ₽737

15.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$6.11 ₽510

59.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$12.00 ₽1,002

15.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$1.61 ₽134

156.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.42 ₽119

7.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$1.52 ₽127

46.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$3.62 ₽302

-37.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$0.73 ₽60.9

172.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$0.41 ₽33.95

307.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.47 ₽123

-19.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.95 ₽79.0

30.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$2.24 ₽187

72.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$10.95 ₽914

25.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$0.79 ₽65.6

110.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$1.54 ₽129

55.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.95 ₽79.2

30.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$3.67 ₽306

-65.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.17 ₽14.61

1164.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$3.67 ₽306

128.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$0.90 ₽75.2

50.00%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$42.6K ₽3.6M

-18.46%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$39.1K ₽3.3M

-11.31%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$129 ₽10.8K

28.73%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$4.69 ₽392

190.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$8.49 ₽709

242.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$145 ₽12.1K

-68.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$5.43 ₽453

28.36%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$179 ₽14.9K

341.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$3,611 ₽301.4K

150.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$61.3 ₽5,117

43.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$30.32 ₽2,530

91.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$143 ₽12.0K

-2.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$120 ₽10.0K

-17.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$551 ₽46.0K

86.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$462 ₽38.6K

34.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$816 ₽68.1K

130.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$536 ₽44.7K

87.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$2,427 ₽202.6K

64.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$2,166 ₽180.7K

-21.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$1,197 ₽99.9K

-44.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

19.56

-44.07%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Korolyov: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Korolyov

$462 35.3% 25.4% $157

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Korolyov

$216 16.5% 27.6% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Korolyov

$143 10.9% 31.9% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Korolyov

$160 12.2% 7.5% $13

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Korolyov

$166 12.7% 2.6% $4.5

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Korolyov

$8.3 * 0.6% 91.2% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Korolyov

$155 11.9% 163% $96

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $551 in Korolyov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Korolyov pays 80% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Medellin vs $61.0 in Korolyov. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $216, with Korolyov cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇷🇺 Korolyov

🕒 Local time

07:32 7:32 AM

15:32 3:32 PM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

225,299

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Korolyov 10,840 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Korolyov

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 Korolyov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Korolyov wins on cost – living expenses run 24% 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 80% 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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $551 in Korolyov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,625 per month in Medellin versus $1,310 in Korolyov – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,310 in Korolyov versus $1,625 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 $1,310 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 24% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.