Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kyiv Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kyiv

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $987 in Kyiv.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,511 in Kyiv.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $2,035 in Kyiv.

Living in Medellin is roughly 4% more expensive than in Kyiv, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Kyiv 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$8.44 ₴377

-27.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$31.33 ₴1,399

4.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$5.88 ₴263

24.83%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$1.55 ₴69.4

10.97%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.66 ₴29.63

59.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.46 ₴20.48

67.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$1.10 ₴49.18

53.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$1.82 ₴81.1

74.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.28 ₴57.3

-17.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.82 ₴36.42

58.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.84 ₴82.1

-23.91%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$1.96 ₴87.7

10.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$9.77 ₴436

-55.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$4.55 ₴203

29.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$7.67 ₴343

12.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$1.02 ₴45.43

123.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.55 ₴69.3

-28.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$1.84 ₴82.1

-16.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$2.24 ₴100

-39.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.80 ₴35.90

41.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.55 ₴24.37

105.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.36 ₴60.9

-37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.55 ₴24.44

65.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$2.92 ₴131

-19.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$5.73 ₴256

115.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$0.83 ₴37.04

44.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.54 ₴68.7

61.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.20 ₴8.85

320.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$9.85 ₴440

311.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$2.02 ₴90.3

-29.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.34 ₴15.39

464.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$4.47 ₴200

71.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.37 ₴61.0

-27.74%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$30.8K ₴1.4M

-41.41%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$25.0K ₴1.1M

6.67%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$111 ₴4,973

-27.42%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$5.75 ₴257

73.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$7.16 ₴320

237.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$38.46 ₴1,718

-34.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$16.20 ₴723

18.21%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$4.95 ₴221

-19.60%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$375 ₴16.8K

-18.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$7,864 ₴351.3K

-22.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$68.5 ₴3,062

-15.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$35.38 ₴1,580

-8.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$103 ₴4,593

-2.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$116 ₴5,183

-7.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$602 ₴26.9K

-20.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$351 ₴15.7K

7.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$1,325 ₴59.2K

-36.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$619 ₴27.7K

17.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$2,672 ₴119.4K

20.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,175 ₴52.5K

16.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$765 ₴34.2K

-19.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

19.34

-30.56%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Kyiv: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $602 in Kyiv. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kyiv pays 24% 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 $31.00 in Kyiv for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $178 per month, with Kyiv cheaper across the board.

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 Kyiv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kyiv is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Kyiv. 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 $602 in Kyiv. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kyiv – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $987 in Kyiv versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kyiv but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kyiv the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kyiv is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Kyiv gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.