Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Novorossiysk

For one person, living is cheaper in Novorossiysk: $952 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Novorossiysk
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Novorossiysk Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Novorossiysk

🇷🇺 Russia

$952

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Novorossiysk

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $952 in Novorossiysk, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Novorossiysk $952

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,391 in Novorossiysk, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Novorossiysk $1,391

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,831 in Novorossiysk, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Novorossiysk $1,831

Medellin costs about 72% more than Novorossiysk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Novorossiysk is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$12.35 ₽988

-34.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$37.08 ₽2,966

26.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$5.59 ₽447

69.95%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$2.82 ₽225

6.74%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$1.12 ₽90.0

60.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$0.35 ₽28.12

302.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$1.27 ₽101

150.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$3.00 ₽240

91.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$1.16 ₽92.7

30.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$0.65 ₽51.9

266.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$1.21 ₽96.4

46.28%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$0.97 ₽77.8

197.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$8.70 ₽696

17.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$4.70 ₽376

110.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

$10.15 ₽812

37.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$0.85 ₽67.8

367.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$1.58 ₽126

-1.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

$1.48 ₽118

47.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$2.02 ₽162

7.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$0.64 ₽51.0

206.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

$0.46 ₽36.69

245.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

$0.54 ₽43.00

112.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$0.52 ₽41.91

138.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$2.87 ₽230

37.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$6.03 ₽482

126.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

$0.95 ₽75.9

74.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

$1.62 ₽130

39.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

$0.56 ₽45.08

108.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

$20.65 ₽1,651

274.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

$1.27 ₽102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

$0.22 ₽17.57

831.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

$2.95 ₽236

189.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$0.81 ₽65.0

66.67%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

$22.2K ₽1.8M

53.51%

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

$28.2K ₽2.3M

23.09%

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

$170 COP 536.8K

$127 ₽10.2K

33.55%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$5.04 ₽403

168.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$9.33 ₽746

200.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$27.01 ₽2,161

61.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

$14.27 ₽1,141

20.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$5.09 ₽407

35.76%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$605 ₽48.4K

31.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

$4,193 ₽335.4K

117.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

$58.7 ₽4,691

44.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

$26.47 ₽2,117

118.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

$62.4 ₽4,994

116.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

$75.0 ₽5,999

30.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$409 ₽32.7K

195.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$312 ₽25.0K

105.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$518 ₽41.4K

291.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$397 ₽31.8K

154.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

$2,385 ₽190.8K

74.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$1,698 ₽135.8K

12.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,092 ₽87.4K

-39.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

21.33

-48.71%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Novorossiysk: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Novorossiysk

$312 32.8% 51.3% $329

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Novorossiysk

$168 17.6% 43.5% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Novorossiysk

$141 14.9% 33.1% $70

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Novorossiysk

$168 17.6% 1.2% $2

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Novorossiysk

$100 10.5% 40.7% $69

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Novorossiysk

$25 2.7% 73% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Novorossiysk

$37 3.9% 35.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $409 in Novorossiysk. 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 66% higher in Novorossiysk, 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 in Medellin versus $37 in Novorossiysk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $168 – making Novorossiysk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇷🇺 Novorossiysk

🕒 Local time

00:27 12:27 AM

08:27 8:27 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

275,795

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR

100 RUB = 1.25 USD

100 RUB = 1.12 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 79.99 RUB (100 RUB = 1.25 USD). 1 EUR = 89.04 RUB (100 RUB = 1.12 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Novorossiysk 11,310 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Novorossiysk

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 Novorossiysk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 72%, 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 $1,428 in Novorossiysk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Novorossiysk, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $409 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $37 in Novorossiysk. 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 $952 in Novorossiysk. That makes Novorossiysk about 42% cheaper.

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

For expats, Novorossiysk is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 42% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.