Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Qapshaghay

For one person, living is cheaper in Qapshaghay: $1,082 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Qapshaghay
Learn more

Qapshaghay Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Qapshaghay

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,082

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Qapshaghay

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,082 in Qapshaghay, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Qapshaghay $1,082

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,631 in Qapshaghay, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Qapshaghay $1,631

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,180 in Qapshaghay, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Qapshaghay $2,180

Medellin costs about 51% more than Qapshaghay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$11.02 ₸4,996

-26.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$22.49 ₸10.2K

109.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$6.63 ₸3,006

43.29%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$1.73 ₸784

73.99%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$1.01 ₸459

78.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.70 ₸319

101.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$1.32 ₸597

140.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$1.32 ₸597

335.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.72 ₸780

-12.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$0.44 ₸199

440.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$2.10 ₸952

-15.71%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$2.44 ₸1,106

18.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$12.21 ₸5,539

-16.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$6.60 ₸2,995

49.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$10.80 ₸4,900

29.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.81 ₸819

119.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$2.39 ₸1,083

-35.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$2.92 ₸1,324

-25.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$2.70 ₸1,224

-19.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$0.80 ₸362

145.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$0.56 ₸253

183.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$1.66 ₸753

-30.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$1.00 ₸452

24.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$1.66 ₸754

138.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$10.95 ₸4,965

24.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$1.21 ₸547

37.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$2.37 ₸1,074

-4.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.20 ₸92.8

485.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$18.05 ₸8,184

328.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$0.84 ₸383

51.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$0.70 ₸316

192.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$3.91 ₸1,773

118.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$0.60 ₸274

125.00%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$28.4K ₸12.9M

20.15%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$31.0K ₸14.1M

11.78%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$91.1 ₸41.3K

86.24%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$10.77 ₸4,885

25.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$18.05 ₸8,187

55.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$41.86 ₸19.0K

4.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$6.48 ₸2,940

6.64%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$142 ₸64.6K

459.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$4,442 ₸2.0M

105.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$93.2 ₸42.3K

-9.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$49.25 ₸22.3K

17.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$142 ₸64.3K

-4.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$131 ₸59.2K

-25.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$443 ₸200.9K

172.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$308 ₸139.6K

108.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$721 ₸327.0K

181.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$503 ₸228.1K

101.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$1,131 ₸512.8K

268.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$757 ₸343.1K

152.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

20.65

-47.02%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Qapshaghay: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Qapshaghay

$308 28.4% 52% $334

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Qapshaghay

$245 22.7% 17.5% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Qapshaghay

$120 11.1% 43.2% $91

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Qapshaghay

$145 13.4% 14.6% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Qapshaghay

$187 17.3% 10.5% $18

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Qapshaghay

$23 2.1% 75.2% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Qapshaghay

$55 5.1% 4.7% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $443 in Qapshaghay. 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 $47 in Medellin versus $22 in Qapshaghay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $245 – making Qapshaghay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇰🇿 Qapshaghay

🕒 Local time

16:06 4:06 PM

02:06 2:06 AM

10 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

42,167

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 1, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Qapshaghay 13,800 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Qapshaghay

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 Qapshaghay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,623 in Qapshaghay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Qapshaghay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $443 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $22 in Qapshaghay. 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 $1,082 in Qapshaghay. That makes Qapshaghay about 34% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,082 in Qapshaghay. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, Qapshaghay is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 34% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.