Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Minsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Minsk: $1,033 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Minsk
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Minsk Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Minsk

🇧🇾 Belarus

$1,033

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Minsk

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $1,033 in Minsk, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Minsk $1,033

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $1,661 in Minsk, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Minsk $1,661

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $2,288 in Minsk, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Minsk $2,288

Medellin costs about 54% more than Minsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Minsk is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

$9.68 BYN 29.23

-17.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.3K

$48.33 BYN 146

-3.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$6.80 BYN 20.54

38.68%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,277

$2.38 BYN 7.17

22.27%

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

$1.75 COP 5,585

$0.97 BYN 2.94

80.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,218

$0.61 BYN 1.85

116.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

$1.60 BYN 4.83

95.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

$2.53 BYN 7.63

119.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

$0.88 BYN 2.66

60.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$0.65 BYN 1.97

275.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

$1.31 BYN 3.96

24.43%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

$1.65 BYN 4.98

70.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

$7.72 BYN 23.32

25.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$5.28 BYN 15.95

76.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

$10.82 BYN 32.68

24.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$1.57 BYN 4.74

154.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

$1.66 BYN 5.00

-10.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

$2.20 BYN 6.65

-3.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

$2.73 BYN 8.23

-17.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

$0.62 BYN 1.88

208.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

$0.71 BYN 2.14

128.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

$1.40 BYN 4.23

-17.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

$0.65 BYN 1.95

93.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$2.69 BYN 8.11

42.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

$8.41 BYN 25.40

55.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

$0.99 BYN 2.98

61.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

$1.99 BYN 6.01

13.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

$0.35 BYN 1.07

234.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

$18.31 BYN 55.3

309.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,056

$1.67 BYN 5.03

-23.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,531

$0.51 BYN 1.53

301.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

$10.02 BYN 30.27

-18.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,046

$0.89 BYN 2.69

42.70%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

$21.1K BYN 63.6K

27.05%

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

$34.4K COP 109.6M

$22.3K BYN 67.5K

54.00%

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

$162 COP 516.9K

$62.4 BYN 188

160.04%

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

$8.59 BYN 25.95

52.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

$13.32 BYN 40.23

110.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.2K

$37.56 BYN 113

18.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.0K

$20.95 BYN 63.3

-22.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$5.74 BYN 17.35

6.10%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$399 BYN 1,204

91.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

$24.5K BYN 73.9K

-63.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

$51.7 BYN 156

64.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

$44.14 BYN 133

30.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

$107 BYN 322

23.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

$107 BYN 323

-10.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$591 BYN 1,786

73.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$382 BYN 1,154

58.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

$1,014 BYN 3,061

77.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$699 BYN 2,112

41.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

$2,514 BYN 7,592

55.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

$1,632 BYN 4,928

0.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$946 BYN 2,856

-33.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

15.92

-31.28%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Minsk: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Minsk

$382 37.6% 36.8% $222

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Minsk

$192 18.9% 33.5% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Minsk

$84 8.3% 58.6% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Minsk

$139 13.7% 16.3% $27

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Minsk

$146 14.3% 12.4% $21

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Minsk

$24 2.4% 73.8% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Minsk

$49 4.8% 13.2% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $591 in Minsk. 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 51% higher in Minsk, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $48.00 in Minsk. Groceries tell a different story – $288 in Medellin vs $192 in Minsk – so Minsk wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇾 Minsk

🕒 Local time

03:38 3:38 AM

11:38 11:38 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,992,862 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Belarusian Ruble BYN Br

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

1 BYN = 0.331 USD

1 BYN = 0.295 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BYN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,574 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Belarusian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.02 BYN (1 BYN = 0.331 USD). 1 EUR = 3.39 BYN (1 BYN = 0.295 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Minsk 10,300 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
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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 Minsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 54%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $1,550 in Minsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $48.00 in Minsk. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Medellin and $1,033 in Minsk. That's a gap of about 54%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Minsk, where all-in costs run around $1,033, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Minsk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Minsk. 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.