Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kyiv

For one person, living is cheaper in Kyiv: $996 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Kyiv
Learn more

Kyiv Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Kyiv

🇺🇦 Ukraine

$996

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kyiv

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $996 in Kyiv.

Medellin $1,639
Kyiv $996

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,575 in Kyiv.

Medellin $2,413
Kyiv $1,575

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $2,153 in Kyiv.

Medellin $3,186
Kyiv $2,153

Living in Medellin is roughly 65% more expensive than in Kyiv, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Kyiv is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$10.78 ₴491

-24.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$32.91 ₴1,499

42.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$7.54 ₴343

25.99%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$1.81 ₴82.3

66.30%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$0.76 ₴34.82

136.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.59 ₴26.69

138.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$1.34 ₴60.9

137.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$1.99 ₴90.7

188.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.34 ₴60.9

12.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$0.83 ₴37.70

186.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$1.49 ₴67.8

18.79%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$2.03 ₴92.6

42.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$10.09 ₴460

0.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$5.11 ₴233

93.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$8.65 ₴394

61.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.21 ₴55.2

228.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$1.56 ₴71.1

-0.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$1.84 ₴83.9

18.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$2.69 ₴123

-18.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$0.58 ₴26.22

237.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$0.45 ₴20.45

253.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$1.48 ₴67.5

-22.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.64 ₴29.25

93.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$3.35 ₴153

18.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$5.42 ₴247

152.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$0.91 ₴41.50

82.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$1.35 ₴61.5

67.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.69 ₴31.24

69.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$12.38 ₴564

524.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$2.21 ₴100

-42.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$0.45 ₴20.69

355.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$4.70 ₴214

81.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$1.82 ₴82.7

-25.82%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$30.9K ₴1.4M

10.08%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$25.2K ₴1.1M

37.78%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$96.8 ₴4,409

75.20%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$6.86 ₴312

97.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$6.30 ₴287

345.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$37.13 ₴1,691

17.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$18.04 ₴821

-4.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$5.60 ₴255

23.39%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$424 ₴19.3K

87.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$15.1K ₴688.0K

-39.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$73.2 ₴3,333

15.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$39.13 ₴1,781

48.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$94.9 ₴4,322

42.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$118 ₴5,378

-17.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$647 ₴29.5K

86.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$337 ₴15.3K

90.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,386 ₴63.1K

46.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$651 ₴29.7K

55.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$2,590 ₴117.9K

61.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,160 ₴52.8K

64.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$820 ₴37.3K

-19.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

17.88

-38.81%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kyiv: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Kyiv

$337 33.8% 47.5% $305

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Kyiv

$188 18.9% 36.6% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Kyiv

$110 11% 47.9% $101

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Kyiv

$147 14.7% 13.6% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Kyiv

$146 14.7% 13.4% $23

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Kyiv

$20 2% 79% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Kyiv

$48 4.9% 16% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $647 in Kyiv. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kyiv pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $33 in Kyiv for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $188 per month, with Kyiv cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇦 Kyiv

🕒 Local time

14:19 2:19 PM

21:19 9:19 PM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

2,908,249 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Ukrainian Hryvnia UAH ₴

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

100 UAH = 2.2 USD

100 UAH = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UAH, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Ukrainian Hryvnia exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 45.53 UAH (100 UAH = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 50.84 UAH (100 UAH = 1.97 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Kyiv 10,590 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Kyiv

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 Kyiv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kyiv is about 39% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Medellin. 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $647 in Kyiv. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% 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 $33 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 39% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.