Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kostanay

For one person, living is cheaper in Kostanay: $962 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Kostanay
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Kostanay Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Kostanay

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$962

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kostanay

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $962 in Kostanay, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Kostanay $962

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,452 in Kostanay, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Kostanay $1,452

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $1,943 in Kostanay, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Kostanay $1,943

Medellin costs about 69% more than Kostanay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Kostanay is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$5.60 ₸2,532

48.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$28.73 ₸13.0K

63.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$7.05 ₸3,186

31.06%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$2.18 ₸988

39.91%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.12 ₸506

60.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.86 ₸389

60.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$1.45 ₸656

123.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$2.61 ₸1,181

113.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.22 ₸550

22.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$0.52 ₸235

355.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.05 ₸474

61.90%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.27 ₸1,026

30.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$10.21 ₸4,614

0.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$5.72 ₸2,585

70.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$8.33 ₸3,767

66.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$1.61 ₸730

156.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$2.37 ₸1,071

-35.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$1.84 ₸831

20.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$2.32 ₸1,047

-2.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$0.58 ₸264

243.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$0.68 ₸308

145.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.21 ₸548

-2.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.88 ₸399

40.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$2.51 ₸1,135

54.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$8.47 ₸3,827

62.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.10 ₸495

50.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$2.37 ₸1,071

1.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.31 ₸142

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$0.95 ₸430

34.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$1.14 ₸516

88.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$6.09 ₸2,755

37.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$0.58 ₸263

132.76%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$30.3K ₸13.7M

14.77%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$30.5K ₸13.8M

13.64%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$76.8 ₸34.7K

116.94%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$10.97 ₸4,961

24.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$15.99 ₸7,229

82.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$48.26 ₸21.8K

-6.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$20.11 ₸9,091

-14.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$4.40 ₸1,989

58.41%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$209 ₸94.5K

277.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$6,498 ₸2.9M

39.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$96.3 ₸43.5K

-8.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$53.8 ₸24.3K

8.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$107 ₸48.6K

29.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$93.7 ₸42.3K

5.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$402 ₸181.7K

155.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$321 ₸144.9K

93.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$598 ₸270.1K

214.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$494 ₸223.4K

103.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$1,218 ₸550.5K

227.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$925 ₸418.0K

84.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$657 ₸297.0K

0.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

18.5

-40.86%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Kostanay: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Kostanay

$321 33.4% 48.3% $299

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Kostanay

$202 21% 32.3% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Kostanay

$104 10.8% 50.4% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Kostanay

$158 16.4% 8.5% $15

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Kostanay

$113 11.7% 34.1% $58

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Kostanay

$7.9 * 0.8% 91.7% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Kostanay

$57 5.9% 3.3% $2

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $402 in Kostanay. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $29.00 in Kostanay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $202 – making Kostanay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇰🇿 Kostanay

🕒 Local time

13:01 1:01 PM

00:01 12:01 AM

11 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

264,446

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, 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).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Kostanay 12,380 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Kostanay

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 Kostanay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 69% more than Kostanay, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,443 in Kostanay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kostanay, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $29.00 in Kostanay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 48% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kostanay, where all-in costs run around $962, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Kostanay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kostanay costs $962 versus $1,625 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kostanay. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.