Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Osh

For one person, living is cheaper in Osh: $691 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,589
/mo nomad
Osh
🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan
$691
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Osh

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $691 in Osh, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,589
  • Osh $691

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $1,118 in Osh, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,364
  • Osh $1,118

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $1,544 in Osh, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,139
  • Osh $1,544

Medellin costs about 130% more than Osh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Osh is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Osh
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.01 COP 25.8K
$4.46 KGS 389
79.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.55 COP 149.9K
$23.08 KGS 2,016
101.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.43 COP 30.4K
$9.33 KGS 815
1.07%
Cappuccino
$2.91 COP 9,374
$1.91 KGS 166
52.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 COP 5,643
$0.84 KGS 73.3
108.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.32 COP 4,263
$0.28 KGS 24.69
371.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$1.12 KGS 97.8
179.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.55 COP 17.9K
$1.29 KGS 113
330.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Osh
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 COP 4,542
$0.86 KGS 74.7
63.95%
White Bread (500g)
$2.44 COP 7,858
$0.38 KGS 32.80
542.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.63 COP 5,245
$1.21 KGS 106
34.71%
Eggs
$2.82 COP 9,084
$1.45 KGS 127
94.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.69 COP 31.2K
$4.84 KGS 423
100.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.32 COP 30.0K
$3.52 KGS 308
164.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.46 COP 43.3K
$7.92 KGS 692
69.95%
Apples (1kg)
$4.00 COP 12.9K
$0.67 KGS 58.7
497.01%
Banana (1kg)
$1.48 COP 4,768
$1.55 KGS 135
-4.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.12 COP 6,839
$2.21 KGS 193
-4.07%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.25 COP 7,253
$1.19 KGS 104
89.08%
Potato (1kg)
$1.91 COP 6,155
$0.47 KGS 40.85
306.38%
Onion (1kg)
$1.62 COP 5,214
$0.46 KGS 40.28
252.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,696
$0.59 KGS 51.2
94.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 COP 4,063
$0.70 KGS 61.2
80.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.82 COP 12.3K
$2.11 KGS 184
81.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.11 COP 42.2K
$5.08 KGS 444
158.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 COP 5,136
$1.11 KGS 96.7
44.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,263
$1.65 KGS 144
36.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Osh
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,770
$0.22 KGS 19.13
431.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$75.0 COP 241.5K
$11.97 KGS 1,046
526.73%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,098
$0.24 KGS 20.99
429.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,600
$0.33 KGS 29.13
521.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.20 COP 26.4K
$7.55 KGS 660
8.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 COP 4,088
$1.00 KGS 87.6
27.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K COP 86.2M
$18.4K KGS 1.6M
45.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.4K COP 110.8M
$17.0K KGS 1.5M
102.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Osh
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$162 COP 522.3K
$38.39 KGS 3,354
322.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.12 COP 42.3K
$4.97 KGS 434
163.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.09 COP 90.5K
$9.38 KGS 819
199.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Osh
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.33 COP 142.7K
$45.54 KGS 3,979
-2.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 COP 52.6K
$20.09 KGS 1,755
-18.72%
Cinema Ticket
$6.09 COP 19.6K
$3.33 KGS 291
82.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Osh
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$764 COP 2.5M
$169 KGS 14.7K
352.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,904 COP 28.7M
$1,886 KGS 164.7K
372.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Osh
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.0 COP 273.6K
$18.96 KGS 1,657
348.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.5 COP 185.1K
$36.46 KGS 3,185
57.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$132 COP 424.2K
$53.9 KGS 4,711
144.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.8 COP 308.3K
$52.2 KGS 4,561
83.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Osh
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,028 COP 3.3M
$367 KGS 32.0K
180.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$604 COP 1.9M
$272 KGS 23.8K
122.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,802 COP 5.8M
$900 KGS 78.7K
100.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$993 COP 3.2M
$578 KGS 50.5K
71.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,921 COP 12.6M
$1,233 KGS 107.7K
218.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,639 COP 5.3M
$1,010 KGS 88.3K
62.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Osh
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$626 COP 2.0M
$308 KGS 26.9K
103.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
0
-

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Osh: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$604
Osh
$272 55% $332
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$288
Osh
$138 52% $150
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$203
Osh
$53 74.1% $151
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$166
Osh
$73 56.3% $94
Eating Out
Medellin
$166
Osh
$99 40.4% $67
Getting Around
Medellin
$91
Osh
$15 83.8% $76
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Osh
$52 7.6% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $367 in Osh. 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 103% 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $23.00 in Osh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $138 – making Osh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇰🇬 Osh
🕒 Local time
02:21 2:21 AM
13:21 1:21 PM
11 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
270,347
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KGS, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,220 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Kyrgyzstani Som exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 87.37 KGS (100 KGS = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 97.99 KGS (100 KGS = 1.02 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Osh 13,890 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Osh

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 Osh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Osh cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 130%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $1,037 in Osh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Osh, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Osh?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $23.00 in Osh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Osh?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Medellin and $691 in Osh. That's a gap of about 130%.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Osh?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Osh, where all-in costs run around $691, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Osh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Osh more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Osh – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Medellin or Osh?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Osh. 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.

Medellin vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?