Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Makhachkala

For one person, living is cheaper in Makhachkala: $1,009 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Makhachkala
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Makhachkala Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Makhachkala

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,009

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Makhachkala

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,009 in Makhachkala, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Makhachkala $1,009

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,562 in Makhachkala, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Makhachkala $1,562

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $2,115 in Makhachkala, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Makhachkala $2,115

Medellin costs about 60% more than Makhachkala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Makhachkala is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$10.20 ₽851

-22.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$31.73 ₽2,648

45.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$5.48 ₽457

73.36%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$2.65 ₽221

17.36%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$1.17 ₽98.0

56.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.61 ₽51.1

126.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$1.94 ₽162

57.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$2.94 ₽246

87.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.10 ₽91.6

31.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$0.71 ₽58.9

232.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.41 ₽118

19.15%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$1.53 ₽127

86.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$10.99 ₽917

-7.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$5.39 ₽450

76.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$11.03 ₽921

27.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$1.70 ₽142

139.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.75 ₽146

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$1.75 ₽146

24.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$2.78 ₽232

-16.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$0.81 ₽67.4

138.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$0.61 ₽51.1

168.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$1.23 ₽103

-8.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.74 ₽61.8

68.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$3.33 ₽278

19.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$7.92 ₽661

68.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.10 ₽91.4

54.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.02 ₽168

17.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.54 ₽44.80

124.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$2.70 ₽225

-51.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.40 ₽33.48

435.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$5.71 ₽477

48.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$0.84 ₽70.2

54.76%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$41.0K ₽3.4M

-31.68%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$37.4K ₽3.1M

-5.19%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$110 ₽9,172

56.60%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$5.49 ₽458

143.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$8.44 ₽705

240.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$35.62 ₽2,973

27.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$23.57 ₽1,967

-27.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$6.13 ₽512

2.45%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$348 ₽29.1K

121.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$5,288 ₽441.3K

70.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$80.1 ₽6,688

7.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$54.1 ₽4,518

5.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$102 ₽8,539

33.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$112 ₽9,353

-12.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$460 ₽38.4K

129.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$315 ₽26.3K

95.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$891 ₽74.4K

112.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$556 ₽46.4K

83.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$2,226 ₽185.8K

82.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$1,492 ₽124.5K

12.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$622 ₽51.9K

4.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

21.45

-49.00%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Makhachkala: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Makhachkala

$315 31.2% 48.8% $301

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Makhachkala

$206 20.4% 30.3% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Makhachkala

$124 12.3% 42.2% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Makhachkala

$157 15.6% 7.8% $13

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Makhachkala

$153 15.1% 9.4% $16

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Makhachkala

$6.9 * 0.7% 92.7% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Makhachkala

$48 4.8% 17.2% $9.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $460 in Makhachkala. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 5% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $32.00 in Makhachkala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $206 – making Makhachkala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇷🇺 Makhachkala

🕒 Local time

03:42 3:42 AM

11:42 11:42 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

604,266

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Makhachkala 12,100 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Makhachkala

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 Makhachkala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 60%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,513 in Makhachkala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Makhachkala, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $1,009 in Makhachkala. That's a gap of about 60%.

Kindergarten costs $770 per month in Medellin and $348 in Makhachkala. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Makhachkala, where all-in costs run around $1,009, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Makhachkala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Makhachkala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Makhachkala. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.