Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Noril'sk Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Noril'sk

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,028 per month in Medellin vs $967 in Noril'sk, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in Medellin vs $1,490 in Noril'sk, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,144 per month in Medellin vs $2,014 in Noril'sk, rent included.

Medellin costs about 6% more than Noril'sk, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Medellin and Noril'sk are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Noril'sk 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$9.65 ₽699

-37.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.5K

$37.98 ₽2,752

-13.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.4K

$5.60 ₽406

32.50%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,659

$2.26 ₽164

-26.99%

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

$1.07 COP 3,663

$1.07 ₽77.5

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,607

$0.48 ₽35.02

58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,908

$1.36 ₽98.5

26.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$2.51 ₽182

27.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,597

$1.16 ₽84.0

-9.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,479

$0.65 ₽47.03

101.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,591

$1.41 ₽102

-4.96%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,521

$1.78 ₽129

23.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.1K

$10.93 ₽792

-59.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.5K

$4.79 ₽347

18.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.2K

$9.00 ₽652

-5.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,023

$1.76 ₽127

32.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,804

$1.89 ₽137

-41.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,210

$1.97 ₽143

-22.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,680

$2.66 ₽193

-48.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,950

$0.80 ₽57.7

43.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,043

$0.72 ₽52.3

63.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,885

$1.39 ₽101

-39.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,931

$0.67 ₽48.44

28.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,753

$2.95 ₽214

-23.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.8K

$7.59 ₽550

52.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,109

$0.97 ₽69.9

23.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,484

$1.93 ₽140

28.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,721

$0.52 ₽38.00

51.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,023

$1.96 ₽142

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,568

$0.33 ₽23.70

481.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.6K

$6.17 ₽447

25.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,464

$0.72 ₽52.3

40.28%

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

$17.7K COP 60.5M

$34.2K ₽2.5M

-48.37%

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

$26.5K COP 90.7M

$35.0K ₽2.5M

-24.49%

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

$81.1 COP 277.9K

$109 ₽7,914

-25.75%

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

$9.43 COP 32.3K

$6.03 ₽437

56.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 81.8K

$7.74 ₽561

208.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.1K

$35.24 ₽2,554

-26.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.1K

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.0K

$5.01 ₽363

-18.36%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$319 ₽23.1K

-1.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.6M

$6,874 ₽498.1K

-12.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 204.6K

$69.2 ₽5,014

-13.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.6K

$44.61 ₽3,232

-28.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 346.9K

$114 ₽8,234

-10.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 360.3K

$109 ₽7,864

-3.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$448 ₽32.5K

8.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$304 ₽22.0K

20.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$761 ₽55.1K

8.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$516 ₽37.4K

41.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$2,411 ₽174.7K

24.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$1,646 ₽119.3K

-20.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

15.33

-12.39%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Noril'sk: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $485 in Medellin versus $448 in Noril'sk. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $38.00 in Noril'sk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $197 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Noril'sk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 6%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,542 per month in Medellin and $1,451 in Noril'sk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Noril'sk, 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 $33.00 in Medellin and $38.00 in Noril'sk. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Noril'sk, where all-in costs run around $967, than in Medellin at $1,028. In Noril'sk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Noril'sk – 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 Noril'sk. 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.