Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Magadan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Magadan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $995 in Magadan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,564 in Magadan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,133 in Magadan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 69% more expensive than in Magadan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Magadan is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$10.78 ₽911

-25.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$36.19 ₽3,058

32.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$5.81 ₽491

70.22%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$2.69 ₽228

16.36%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.18 ₽99.7

61.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.59 ₽50.2

155.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$1.84 ₽155

69.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.52 ₽213

128.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.16 ₽97.9

24.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$0.71 ₽59.9

250.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.38 ₽116

28.26%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$1.46 ₽123

102.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$10.92 ₽923

-7.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$4.91 ₽415

106.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$11.51 ₽972

24.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$1.71 ₽145

142.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.76 ₽149

-8.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.71 ₽144

31.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$3.09 ₽261

-27.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$0.70 ₽59.4

191.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$0.58 ₽48.88

165.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.21 ₽103

-3.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.81 ₽68.6

61.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$2.78 ₽235

40.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$8.32 ₽703

68.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.00 ₽84.4

74.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$1.85 ₽156

55.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.51 ₽42.74

139.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$2.32 ₽196

-43.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$0.33 ₽28.16

563.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$5.91 ₽499

47.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$0.86 ₽73.0

59.30%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$35.6K ₽3.0M

-21.76%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$32.5K ₽2.7M

10.07%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$116 ₽9,816

52.65%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$6.59 ₽557

110.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$7.71 ₽651

285.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$30.74 ₽2,598

46.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$21.06 ₽1,780

-18.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$5.82 ₽492

14.26%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$345 ₽29.1K

135.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$6,079 ₽513.7K

51.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$69.8 ₽5,898

28.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$42.10 ₽3,558

40.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$117 ₽9,904

17.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$105 ₽8,893

-2.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$434 ₽36.7K

144.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$274 ₽23.1K

142.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$762 ₽64.4K

147.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$536 ₽45.3K

91.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$2,570 ₽217.2K

62.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,503 ₽127.0K

11.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-47.90%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Magadan: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $434 in Magadan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $36.00 in Magadan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $206 per month, with Magadan 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 Magadan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Magadan wins on cost – living expenses run 69% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Magadan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,492 in Magadan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $434 in Magadan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $345 in Magadan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Magadan – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $995 in Magadan versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Magadan but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Magadan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Magadan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $995 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Magadan hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Magadan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.