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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $990 in Kyiv.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,494 in Kyiv.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,998 in Kyiv.

Living in Medellin is roughly 2% more expensive than Kyiv, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Kyiv 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.3K

$8.58 ₴380

-30.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 116.9K

$31.03 ₴1,376

5.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.2K

$6.14 ₴272

15.47%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,093

$1.56 ₴69.3

9.62%

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

$1.10 COP 3,910

$0.68 ₴30.10

61.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,771

$0.42 ₴18.54

85.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,976

$1.08 ₴47.76

55.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$1.92 ₴85.0

59.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,892

$1.24 ₴55.0

-12.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,492

$0.83 ₴36.75

51.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,905

$1.83 ₴81.1

-24.59%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,799

$2.05 ₴90.7

6.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$9.87 ₴438

-55.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.0K

$4.34 ₴192

29.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.6K

$7.91 ₴351

12.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,319

$1.03 ₴45.48

127.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,764

$1.56 ₴69.0

-32.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,355

$1.79 ₴79.6

-16.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,906

$2.27 ₴100

-39.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,097

$0.86 ₴38.22

33.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,141

$0.56 ₴24.83

107.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,170

$1.43 ₴63.4

-37.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,986

$0.57 ₴25.36

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,116

$2.98 ₴132

-23.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$5.81 ₴258

83.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,268

$0.83 ₴36.94

44.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,793

$1.57 ₴69.5

57.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,045

$0.16 ₴7.22

437.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.3K

$9.60 ₴426

331.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,245

$2.00 ₴88.8

-26.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,984

$0.35 ₴15.52

460.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.5K

$4.36 ₴193

77.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,397

$1.42 ₴62.9

-33.10%

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

$18.1K COP 64.5M

$30.7K ₴1.4M

-40.97%

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

$26.5K COP 94.2M

$24.7K ₴1.1M

7.33%

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

$82.3 COP 292.7K

$112 ₴4,946

-26.25%

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

$9.50 COP 33.8K

$5.59 ₴248

69.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.2K

$7.16 ₴317

238.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.1K

$37.24 ₴1,652

-30.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.6K

$16.34 ₴725

16.28%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$4.80 ₴213

-18.12%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$389 ₴17.3K

-20.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.2M

$7,847 ₴348.0K

-23.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 208.7K

$68.6 ₴3,042

-14.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.1K

$36.29 ₴1,609

-10.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.1K

$103 ₴4,565

-0.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 385.8K

$112 ₴4,965

-3.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$599 ₴26.5K

-20.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$357 ₴15.8K

6.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$1,293 ₴57.3K

-35.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$617 ₴27.4K

17.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$2,609 ₴115.7K

6.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,119 ₴49.6K

8.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$770 ₴34.2K

-33.57%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kyiv: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $599 in Kyiv. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kyiv pays 51% 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 $188 vs $179 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 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Kyiv earns 51% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $599 in Kyiv. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% 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 $990 in Kyiv versus $1,013 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 2% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.