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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $997 in Korolyov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,403 in Korolyov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,808 in Korolyov.

Living in Medellin is roughly 3% more expensive than in Korolyov, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Korolyov 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$8.84 ₽694

-30.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$20.46 ₽1,607

59.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$5.27 ₽414

39.28%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$2.04 ₽160

-15.69%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.86 ₽67.2

22.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.39 ₽30.70

97.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$4.15 ₽326

-59.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$1.85 ₽145

71.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.19 ₽93.7

-11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.42 ₽32.80

209.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.31 ₽103

6.87%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$1.62 ₽127

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$11.81 ₽928

-62.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$5.49 ₽431

7.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$7.98 ₽627

8.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$1.94 ₽152

17.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.69 ₽132

-34.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$2.37 ₽186

-35.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$3.99 ₽313

-66.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.41 ₽32.19

175.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.84 ₽66.0

34.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.65 ₽129

-48.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.52 ₽41.12

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$2.46 ₽193

-4.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$10.46 ₽822

18.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.08 ₽84.8

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.47 ₽115

69.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.75 ₽58.7

12.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$22.46 ₽1,764

80.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$2.58 ₽202

-44.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.47 ₽36.97

308.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$7.91 ₽622

-3.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$0.77 ₽60.7

28.57%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$37.6K ₽3.0M

-52.11%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$20.6K ₽1.6M

29.56%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$123 ₽9,683

-34.43%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$5.53 ₽434

79.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$7.91 ₽621

205.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$31.58 ₽2,481

-20.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$15.51 ₽1,219

23.47%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$5.34 ₽420

-25.47%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$691 ₽54.3K

-55.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$14.4K ₽1.1M

-58.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$57.9 ₽4,547

0.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$25.60 ₽2,011

25.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$38.34 ₽3,012

162.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$57.6 ₽4,523

87.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$450 ₽35.3K

5.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$367 ₽28.8K

2.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$698 ₽54.8K

21.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$488 ₽38.3K

49.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$2,644 ₽207.7K

21.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$2,315 ₽181.9K

-40.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$1,055 ₽82.8K

-41.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-10.47%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Korolyov: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $450 in Korolyov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Korolyov pays 71% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $20.00 in Korolyov. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $209, with Medellin 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 3% 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 71% 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: $477 in Medellin versus $450 in Korolyov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Korolyov runs roughly 81% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $691 in Korolyov. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $997 in Korolyov versus $1,031 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 $997 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 3% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.