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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,013 in Kyiv.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,562 in Kyiv.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,111 in Kyiv.

Living in Medellin is roughly 66% more expensive than in Kyiv, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Kyiv is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$11.13 ₴497

-27.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$33.91 ₴1,514

41.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$6.66 ₴297

48.50%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.65 ₴73.6

89.70%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.78 ₴35.04

144.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.55 ₴24.69

174.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.37 ₴61.0

127.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.04 ₴91.0

181.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.36 ₴60.5

5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.89 ₴39.88

179.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.48 ₴66.2

19.59%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.99 ₴88.8

48.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$10.28 ₴459

-2.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$5.31 ₴237

90.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$8.99 ₴401

59.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.20 ₴53.4

245.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.54 ₴68.6

4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.82 ₴81.1

23.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$2.56 ₴114

-12.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.60 ₴26.83

240.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.45 ₴20.21

242.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.42 ₴63.3

-17.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.60 ₴26.88

118.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.43 ₴153

13.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$5.47 ₴244

156.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$0.96 ₴42.67

81.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.44 ₴64.1

99.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.57 ₴25.52

114.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$11.00 ₴491

631.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$2.22 ₴99.2

-40.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.44 ₴19.47

397.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$4.49 ₴200

93.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.67 ₴74.8

-17.96%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$30.1K ₴1.3M

-7.47%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$26.3K ₴1.2M

36.26%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$93.2 ₴4,161

90.20%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$6.76 ₴302

105.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$6.59 ₴294

350.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$34.37 ₴1,534

30.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$17.54 ₴783

-2.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$5.47 ₴244

21.57%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$398 ₴17.8K

104.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$14.6K ₴652.7K

-37.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$70.1 ₴3,129

27.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$40.39 ₴1,803

46.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$93.0 ₴4,152

48.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$116 ₴5,200

-12.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$639 ₴28.5K

66.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$361 ₴16.1K

83.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,340 ₴59.8K

40.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$647 ₴28.9K

58.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,711 ₴121.0K

54.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,157 ₴51.6K

44.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$794 ₴35.5K

-14.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-39.22%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Kyiv: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $639 in Kyiv. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kyiv pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $34.00 in Kyiv for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $190 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, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 66% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $639 in Kyiv. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% 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 $34.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Kyiv versus $1,681 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 66% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.