Measurement units Temperature, distance and clock format
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.
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
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Osh
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.01COP 25.8K
$4.46KGS 389
79.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.55COP 149.9K
$23.08KGS 2,016
101.69%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$9.43COP 30.4K
$9.33KGS 815
1.07%
Cappuccino
$2.91COP 9,374
$1.91KGS 166
52.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75COP 5,643
$0.84KGS 73.3
108.33%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.32COP 4,263
$0.28KGS 24.69
371.43%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.13COP 10.1K
$1.12KGS 97.8
179.46%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$5.55COP 17.9K
$1.29KGS 113
330.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Osh
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.41COP 4,542
$0.86KGS 74.7
63.95%
White Bread(500g)
$2.44COP 7,858
$0.38KGS 32.80
542.11%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.63COP 5,245
$1.21KGS 106
34.71%
Eggs
$2.82COP 9,084
$1.45KGS 127
94.48%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.69COP 31.2K
$4.84KGS 423
100.21%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.32COP 30.0K
$3.52KGS 308
164.77%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.46COP 43.3K
$7.92KGS 692
69.95%
Apples(1kg)
$4.00COP 12.9K
$0.67KGS 58.7
497.01%
Banana(1kg)
$1.48COP 4,768
$1.55KGS 135
-4.52%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.12COP 6,839
$2.21KGS 193
-4.07%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.25COP 7,253
$1.19KGS 104
89.08%
Potato(1kg)
$1.91COP 6,155
$0.47KGS 40.85
306.38%
Onion(1kg)
$1.62COP 5,214
$0.46KGS 40.28
252.17%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.15COP 3,696
$0.59KGS 51.2
94.92%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26COP 4,063
$0.70KGS 61.2
80.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.82COP 12.3K
$2.11KGS 184
81.04%
Wine(Bottle)
$13.11COP 42.2K
$5.08KGS 444
158.07%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.60COP 5,136
$1.11KGS 96.7
44.14%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26COP 7,263
$1.65KGS 144
36.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Osh
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.17COP 3,770
$0.22KGS 19.13
431.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$75.0COP 241.5K
$11.97KGS 1,046
526.73%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.27COP 4,098
$0.24KGS 20.99
429.17%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.05COP 6,600
$0.33KGS 29.13
521.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$8.20COP 26.4K
$7.55KGS 660
8.61%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.27COP 4,088
$1.00KGS 87.6
27.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8KCOP 86.2M
$18.4KKGS 1.6M
45.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.4KCOP 110.8M
$17.0KKGS 1.5M
102.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Osh
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$162COP 522.3K
$38.39KGS 3,354
322.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.12COP 42.3K
$4.97KGS 434
163.98%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.09COP 90.5K
$9.38KGS 819
199.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Osh
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$44.33COP 142.7K
$45.54KGS 3,979
-2.66%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33COP 52.6K
$20.09KGS 1,755
-18.72%
Cinema Ticket
$6.09COP 19.6K
$3.33KGS 291
82.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Osh
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$764COP 2.5M
$169KGS 14.7K
352.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$8,904COP 28.7M
$1,886KGS 164.7K
372.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Osh
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.0COP 273.6K
$18.96KGS 1,657
348.15%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.5COP 185.1K
$36.46KGS 3,185
57.68%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$132COP 424.2K
$53.9KGS 4,711
144.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.8COP 308.3K
$52.2KGS 4,561
83.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Osh
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,028COP 3.3M
$367KGS 32.0K
180.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$604COP 1.9M
$272KGS 23.8K
122.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,802COP 5.8M
$900KGS 78.7K
100.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$993COP 3.2M
$578KGS 50.5K
71.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,921COP 12.6M
$1,233KGS 107.7K
218.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,639COP 5.3M
$1,010KGS 88.3K
62.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Osh
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$626COP 2.0M
$308KGS 26.9K
103.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
10.94
0
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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.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$604 38.3%
Osh
$272 38.8% ↓ 55%$332
🛒Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$288 18.3%
Osh
$138 19.7% ↓ 52%$150
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$203 12.9%
Osh
$53 7.5% ↓ 74.1%$151
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$166 10.6%
Osh
$73 10.4% ↓ 56.3%$94
🍽Eating Out
Medellin
$166 10.6%
Osh
$99 14.1% ↓ 40.4%$67
🚌Getting Around
Medellin
$91 5.8%
Osh
$15 2.1% ↓ 83.8%$76
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57 3.6%
Osh
$52 7.4% ↓ 7.6%$4.3
🏠Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$993 31.9%
Osh
$578 36.6% ↓ 41.7%$414
🛒Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$664 21.3%
Osh
$319 20.2% ↓ 51.9%$345
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$217 7%
Osh
$58 3.7% ↓ 73.4%$159
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$370 11.9%
Osh
$162 10.2% ↓ 56.3%$208
🍽Eating Out
Medellin
$560 18%
Osh
$309 19.5% ↓ 44.8%$251
🚌Getting Around
Medellin
$185 5.9%
Osh
$30 1.9% ↓ 83.8%$155
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$129 4.2%
Osh
$124 7.9% ↓ 3.7%$4.8
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.
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.