Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Qarshi

For one person, living is cheaper in Qarshi: $569 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Qarshi

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$569

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Qarshi

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $569 in Qarshi, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Qarshi $569

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $877 in Qarshi, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Qarshi $877

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,186 in Qarshi, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Qarshi $1,186

Medellin costs about 197% more than Qarshi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Qarshi is 58% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$10.12 UZS 121.1K

-17.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.3K

$16.78 UZS 200.9K

177.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$9.33 UZS 111.7K

1.50%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$0.98 UZS 11.7K

219.39%

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

$1.77 COP 5,704

$0.52 UZS 6,190

240.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,600

$0.19 UZS 2,282

647.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$0.69 UZS 8,317

356.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,949

$1.21 UZS 14.4K

26.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,399

$0.44 UZS 5,268

420.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,281

$1.19 UZS 14.3K

63.03%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,902

$1.53 UZS 18.3K

100.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

$10.09 UZS 120.8K

-0.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$3.26 UZS 39.0K

220.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

$10.79 UZS 129.2K

29.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$1.11 UZS 13.3K

264.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,936

$1.68 UZS 20.2K

-8.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,795

$1.86 UZS 22.2K

12.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,407

$1.27 UZS 15.2K

80.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,812

$0.48 UZS 5,790

339.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,519

$0.24 UZS 2,872

612.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,779

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,102

$0.43 UZS 5,160

267.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$3.31 UZS 39.7K

18.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.4K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,689

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,758

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,810

$0.26 UZS 3,141

353.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.4K

$9.75 UZS 116.8K

682.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,835

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,876

$0.35 UZS 4,132

508.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,118

$1.33 UZS 16.0K

-3.76%

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

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

$34.1K COP 110.2M

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

$178 COP 573.9K

$66.0 UZS 790.9K

169.12%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$3.85 UZS 46.1K

260.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.3K

$12.42 UZS 148.8K

147.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.4K

$34.04 UZS 407.6K

23.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.3K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

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

$790 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$4,537 UZS 54.3M

171.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$277 UZS 3.3M

383.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$170 UZS 2.0M

292.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$426 UZS 5.1M

363.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$308 UZS 3.7M

235.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$346 UZS 4.1M

86.76%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Qarshi: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Qarshi

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Qarshi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Qarshi

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Qarshi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Qarshi

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Qarshi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Qarshi

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $277 in Qarshi. 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 87% 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 $17 in Qarshi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $143 – making Qarshi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇿 Qarshi

🕒 Local time

11:04 11:04 AM

21:04 9:04 PM

10 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

289,600

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

100,000 UZS = 8.35 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UZS, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,627 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 11,975 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.35 USD). 1 EUR = 13,449 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.44 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Qarshi 13,620 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Qarshi

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 Qarshi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 197%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $853 in Qarshi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Qarshi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $277 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

Public transport costs about 87% less in Qarshi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 115% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Qarshi, where all-in costs run around $569, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Qarshi 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 $569 in Qarshi to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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