Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Moscow

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,922 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 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
92

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
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Moscow Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,922

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Moscow

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,922 in Moscow, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Moscow $1,922

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,941 in Moscow, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Moscow $2,941

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,960 in Moscow, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Moscow $3,960

Medellin is about 15% cheaper than Moscow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Medellin and Moscow sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Moscow by 41%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$12.50 ₽1,007

-35.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$61.2 ₽4,932

-23.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$7.65 ₽616

24.18%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$3.84 ₽309

-21.61%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$1.74 ₽140

3.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.85 ₽68.7

65.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$4.83 ₽389

-34.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$5.17 ₽417

11.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.32 ₽107

14.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$1.04 ₽83.9

128.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$1.77 ₽143

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$2.02 ₽163

43.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$15.08 ₽1,215

-32.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$6.86 ₽552

43.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$15.29 ₽1,231

-8.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.14 ₽172

85.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$1.83 ₽148

-15.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$2.03 ₽163

7.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$4.14 ₽333

-47.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$0.94 ₽75.9

108.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$0.77 ₽61.9

106.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$1.69 ₽136

-31.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$1.01 ₽81.2

22.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$3.71 ₽299

6.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$12.23 ₽985

11.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$1.26 ₽101

31.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$2.73 ₽220

-17.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.96 ₽77.3

21.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$43.33 ₽3,489

78.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$3.68 ₽296

-65.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$0.84 ₽67.5

144.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$12.33 ₽993

-30.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$0.96 ₽77.3

40.63%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$45.4K ₽3.7M

-24.93%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$41.2K ₽3.3M

-15.84%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$199 ₽16.0K

-14.68%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$9.04 ₽728

49.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$10.05 ₽809

179.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$44.51 ₽3,584

-1.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$47.40 ₽3,817

-63.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$9.63 ₽776

-28.25%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$898 ₽72.3K

-11.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$29.3K ₽2.4M

-68.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$117 ₽9,397

-27.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$69.4 ₽5,587

-16.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$153 ₽12.3K

-11.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$188 ₽15.1K

-47.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,533 ₽123.5K

-21.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$860 ₽69.3K

-25.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$3,127 ₽251.8K

-35.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,552 ₽125.0K

-34.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$10.5K ₽844.3K

-60.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$4,981 ₽401.2K

-61.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,798 ₽144.8K

-63.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

19.58

-44.13%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Moscow: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Moscow

$860 44.7% 34.1% $219

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Moscow

$274 14.3% 7.7% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Moscow

$218 11.3% 3.1% $6.6

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Moscow

$214 11.1% 26.1% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Moscow

$237 12.3% 40.3% $68

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Moscow

$55 2.9% 41.2% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Moscow

$64 3.3% 10.8% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,533 in Moscow. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Moscow are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $61 in Moscow. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $274 in Moscow – so Moscow wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇷🇺 Moscow

🕒 Local time

17:16 5:16 PM

01:16 1:16 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

12,700,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 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 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).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 89.92 RUB (100 RUB = 1.11 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Moscow 10,840 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Moscow

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 Moscow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Moscow is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,883 in Moscow. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,533 in Moscow.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $61 in Moscow. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,922 in Moscow. That makes Medellin about 15% cheaper.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,922 in Moscow, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – 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 Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Moscow makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.