Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Oral

For one person, living is cheaper in Oral: $723 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Oral

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$723

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Oral

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $723 in Oral, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Oral $723

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,099 in Oral, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Oral $1,099

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,476 in Oral, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Oral $1,476

Medellin costs about 127% more than Oral, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Oral is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$8.30 ₸3,764

-2.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$33.73 ₸15.3K

39.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$8.12 ₸3,684

17.00%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$1.85 ₸840

62.70%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.97 ₸441

85.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.59 ₸267

138.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$0.87 ₸394

265.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$2.06 ₸934

179.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.46 ₸661

3.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.47 ₸213

406.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.69 ₸768

4.73%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$1.44 ₸652

100.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$8.92 ₸4,044

14.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$4.39 ₸1,993

124.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$11.31 ₸5,129

23.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.25 ₸567

217.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$2.03 ₸919

-23.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$2.38 ₸1,079

-8.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$3.24 ₸1,470

-32.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$0.42 ₸190

366.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$0.32 ₸147

396.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.71 ₸322

61.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.14 ₸515

8.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$2.20 ₸997

80.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$7.72 ₸3,502

77.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$0.65 ₸296

155.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.23 ₸105

408.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$0.65 ₸295

95.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$5.47 ₸2,481

56.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$0.62 ₸282

117.74%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$30.5K ₸13.8M

13.79%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$83.8 ₸38.0K

102.57%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$8.66 ₸3,930

56.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$14.61 ₸6,627

92.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$55.5 ₸25.2K

-21.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$3.41 ₸1,546

102.64%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$33.17 ₸15.0K

155.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$281 ₸127.2K

330.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$213 ₸96.8K

200.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$449 ₸203.8K

351.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$317 ₸143.6K

219.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$439 ₸199.4K

49.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Oral: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Oral

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Oral

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Oral

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Oral

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Oral

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Oral

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Oral

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $281 in Oral. 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 50% 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 $34 in Oral. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $196 – making Oral the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇰🇿 Oral

🕒 Local time

00:43 12:43 AM

10:43 10:43 AM

10 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

256,960

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 454 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Oral 11,880 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Oral

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 Oral: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 127%, 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 $1,084 in Oral. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oral, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $281 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 52% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $34 in Oral. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Oral, where all-in costs run around $723, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Oral it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $723 in Oral to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Oral. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.