Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Novoshakhtinsk Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Novoshakhtinsk

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,011 in Novoshakhtinsk, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,545 in Novoshakhtinsk, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $2,080 in Novoshakhtinsk, rent included.

Medellin costs about 62% more than Novoshakhtinsk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Novoshakhtinsk is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.9K

$11.24 ₽958

-28.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 149.7K

$35.59 ₽3,033

35.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.2K

$6.38 ₽544

47.65%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,105

$2.51 ₽214

17.13%

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

$1.86 COP 5,776

$1.22 ₽104

52.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,511

$0.67 ₽56.7

117.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,953

$1.91 ₽163

68.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.7K

$2.76 ₽235

106.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,460

$0.98 ₽83.8

46.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,442

$0.68 ₽57.8

252.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,265

$1.37 ₽116

24.09%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,960

$1.54 ₽131

87.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.2K

$9.37 ₽798

7.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.9K

$5.47 ₽466

82.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 44.0K

$10.44 ₽890

36.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.73 ₽148

130.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,913

$1.50 ₽128

5.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,671

$1.61 ₽137

33.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,129

$2.89 ₽247

-20.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,213

$0.63 ₽54.1

217.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,679

$0.62 ₽52.5

143.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,727

$1.20 ₽103

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,974

$0.78 ₽66.5

64.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.9K

$3.20 ₽273

20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.4K

$7.62 ₽650

83.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,294

$0.98 ₽83.6

74.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,500

$1.69 ₽144

62.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,861

$0.50 ₽42.34

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 241.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,045

$2.33 ₽198

-43.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,728

$0.29 ₽24.76

648.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.7K

$4.76 ₽406

74.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,202

$0.70 ₽59.9

94.29%

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

$27.5K COP 85.2M

$34.0K ₽2.9M

-19.14%

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

$36.5K COP 113.2M

$33.4K ₽2.8M

9.36%

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

$169 COP 523.0K

$125 ₽10.7K

35.02%

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

$13.57 COP 42.1K

$5.30 ₽452

156.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.8K

$7.95 ₽678

256.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 141.7K

$36.63 ₽3,122

24.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.4K

$20.40 ₽1,739

-15.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$6.15 ₽524

8.13%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$334 ₽28.5K

140.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.5M

$5,354 ₽456.3K

71.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 270.8K

$74.4 ₽6,342

17.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 184.0K

$49.47 ₽4,217

20.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 430.5K

$117 ₽10.0K

18.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 316.3K

$88.0 ₽7,500

15.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$437 ₽37.2K

145.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$333 ₽28.4K

96.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 6.0M

$723 ₽61.6K

166.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$462 ₽39.4K

126.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.8M

$2,148 ₽183.0K

91.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.3M

$1,259 ₽107.3K

34.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-47.90%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Novoshakhtinsk: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $437 in Novoshakhtinsk. 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $36.00 in Novoshakhtinsk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $194 – making Novoshakhtinsk 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 Novoshakhtinsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 62%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,516 in Novoshakhtinsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Novoshakhtinsk, 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $36.00 in Novoshakhtinsk. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 54% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Novoshakhtinsk, where all-in costs run around $1,011, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Novoshakhtinsk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Novoshakhtinsk – 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 Novoshakhtinsk. 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.