Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mazar-i-Sharif

For one person, living is cheaper in Mazar-i-Sharif: $292 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Mazar-i-Sharif
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Mazar-i-Sharif Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Mazar-i-Sharif

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$292

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Mazar-i-Sharif

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 Mazar-i-Sharif actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $292 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Medellin $1,625
Mazar-i-Sharif $292

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $461 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Medellin $2,412
Mazar-i-Sharif $461

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $630 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Medellin $3,199
Mazar-i-Sharif $630

Living in Medellin is roughly 456% more expensive than in Mazar-i-Sharif, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Mazar-i-Sharif is 78% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$2.38 ؋154

248.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$15.47 ؋1,003

203.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$4.01 ؋260

130.42%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.54 ؋489

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.50 ؋486

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$1.23 ؋79.8

147.97%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.57 ؋36.96

215.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.30 ؋19.28

360.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$0.65 ؋42.20

130.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$0.15 ؋9.99

1480.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$2.10 ؋136

-19.05%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$1.65 ؋107

79.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$7.49 ؋486

36.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$3.30 ؋214

195.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$6.09 ؋395

128.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$0.59 ؋38.30

600.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.13 ؋73.5

35.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$0.82 ؋53.2

170.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$0.61 ؋39.27

272.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$0.47 ؋30.46

323.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$0.38 ؋24.88

339.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$0.56 ؋36.54

110.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.32 ؋20.97

287.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.86 ؋121

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$1.57 ؋102

146.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.81 ؋52.2

53.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$1.52 ؋98.7

450.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.53 ؋99.4

-11.76%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$9,927 ؋643.5K

250.18%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$83.3 ؋5,399

100.11%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$16.98 ؋1,101

-19.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$11.53 ؋747

291.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$3.87 ؋251

343.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$4.68 ؋304

48.93%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$76.6 ؋4,967

931.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$12.93 ؋838

579.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$18.48 ؋1,198

435.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$235 ؋15.2K

182.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mazar-i-Sharif: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Mazar-i-Sharif

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Mazar-i-Sharif

$105 35.8% 64.9% $193

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Mazar-i-Sharif

$100 * 34.3% 52.1% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Mazar-i-Sharif

$14 * 4.8% 91.8% $159

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Mazar-i-Sharif

$49 16.9% 71.2% $122

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Mazar-i-Sharif

$3.2 * 1.1% 96.6% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Mazar-i-Sharif

$21 7.2% 64.6% $38

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

Cost Breakdown

Medellin pays 182% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Medellin vs $15.00 in Mazar-i-Sharif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $105 per month, with Mazar-i-Sharif cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇦🇫 Mazar-i-Sharif

🕒 Local time

04:13 4:13 AM

13:43 1:43 PM

9 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

300,600

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AFN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 64.83 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.88 AFN (100 AFN = 1.37 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Mazar-i-Sharif 13,860 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Mazar-i-Sharif

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 Mazar-i-Sharif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mazar-i-Sharif is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 456% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 182% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 185% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,625 per month in Medellin versus $292 in Mazar-i-Sharif – a 456% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $292 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mazar-i-Sharif but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Mazar-i-Sharif the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mazar-i-Sharif 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 Mazar-i-Sharif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 456% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.