Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Novokuznetsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Novokuznetsk: $1,435 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Novokuznetsk
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Novokuznetsk Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Novokuznetsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,435

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Novokuznetsk

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,435 in Novokuznetsk, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Novokuznetsk $1,435

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,321 in Novokuznetsk, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Novokuznetsk $2,321

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,206 in Novokuznetsk, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Novokuznetsk $3,206

Medellin costs about 14% more than Novokuznetsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Novokuznetsk sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Novokuznetsk by 5%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$12.48 ₽1,005

-35.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$61.5 ₽4,954

-23.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$6.85 ₽551

38.69%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$2.63 ₽212

14.45%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$2.12 ₽171

-15.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$1.14 ₽92.2

23.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$4.22 ₽340

-24.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$6.15 ₽495

-6.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.46 ₽118

3.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$0.87 ₽69.8

173.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$1.41 ₽114

25.53%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$1.67 ₽135

73.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$8.85 ₽712

15.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$7.45 ₽600

32.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$9.51 ₽766

47.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.05 ₽165

93.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$2.27 ₽183

-31.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$2.49 ₽200

-12.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$4.16 ₽335

-47.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$0.89 ₽71.6

120.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$0.57 ₽45.75

178.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$1.52 ₽122

-24.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.72 ₽58.1

72.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$3.64 ₽293

8.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$6.25 ₽504

118.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$1.81 ₽146

-8.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$2.75 ₽221

-17.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.63 ₽50.8

85.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$31.35 ₽2,525

146.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$1.85 ₽149

-31.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$0.60 ₽48.17

241.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$0.90 ₽72.3

50.00%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$34.2K ₽2.8M

-0.31%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$34.9K ₽2.8M

-0.76%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$227 ₽18.3K

-25.42%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$5.31 ₽428

155.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$6.59 ₽531

325.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$52.8 ₽4,250

-17.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$29.05 ₽2,339

-40.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$7.55 ₽608

-8.48%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$705 ₽56.8K

12.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$17.9K ₽1.4M

-48.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$147 ₽11.8K

-42.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$85.9 ₽6,915

-32.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$184 ₽14.8K

-26.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$371 ₽29.8K

-73.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$470 ₽37.8K

157.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$308 ₽24.8K

108.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$984 ₽79.3K

106.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$696 ₽56.0K

45.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$2,232 ₽179.8K

86.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,546 ₽124.5K

23.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$590 ₽47.6K

11.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

22.75

-51.91%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Novokuznetsk: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Novokuznetsk

$308 21.5% 51.9% $333

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Novokuznetsk

$228 15.9% 23.2% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Novokuznetsk

$239 16.7% 13.3% $28

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Novokuznetsk

$198 13.8% 17% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Novokuznetsk

$354 24.7% 110% $185

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Novokuznetsk

$39 2.7% 58.6% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Novokuznetsk

$68 4.7% 18% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $470 in Novokuznetsk. 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 11% 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 $47 in Medellin versus $62 in Novokuznetsk. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $228 in Novokuznetsk – so Novokuznetsk wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇷🇺 Novokuznetsk

🕒 Local time

18:31 6:31 PM

06:31 6:31 AM

12 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

544,583

💱 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 Novokuznetsk 13,150 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Novokuznetsk

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 Novokuznetsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,153 in Novokuznetsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Novokuznetsk, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $470 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $62 in Novokuznetsk. 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 $1,435 in Novokuznetsk. That makes Novokuznetsk about 12% cheaper.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,435 in Novokuznetsk, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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