Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Rostov-on-Don

For one person, living is cheaper in Rostov-on-Don: $1,137 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Rostov-on-Don
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Rostov-on-Don Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Rostov-on-Don

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,137

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Rostov-on-Don

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 Rostov-on-Don actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,137 in Rostov-on-Don, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Rostov-on-Don $1,137

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,585 in Rostov-on-Don, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Rostov-on-Don $1,585

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $2,032 in Rostov-on-Don, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Rostov-on-Don $2,032

Medellin costs about 42% more than Rostov-on-Don, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Rostov-on-Don is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.99 COP 25.3K

$11.08 ₽924

-27.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.47 COP 147.3K

$25.08 ₽2,093

85.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.57 COP 30.4K

$5.73 ₽479

67.02%

Cappuccino

$3.14 COP 9,963

$2.87 ₽239

9.41%

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

$1.85 COP 5,864

$1.11 ₽92.7

66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,391

$0.49 ₽40.72

181.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 COP 9,734

$1.18 ₽98.7

160.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 COP 17.6K

$2.94 ₽245

88.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 COP 4,631

$1.09 ₽90.9

33.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,527

$0.74 ₽61.6

220.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 COP 5,360

$1.28 ₽106

32.03%

Eggs

$2.88 COP 9,139

$1.43 ₽119

101.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 COP 32.5K

$9.51 ₽794

7.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.60 COP 30.4K

$5.16 ₽430

86.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.12 COP 44.8K

$8.15 ₽680

73.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 COP 13.0K

$1.43 ₽119

186.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.82 ₽152

-17.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 COP 6,955

$1.44 ₽120

52.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,342

$2.30 ₽192

0.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,145

$0.68 ₽56.8

185.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 COP 5,228

$0.60 ₽49.87

175.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$1.05 ₽87.9

7.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 3,985

$0.65 ₽54.6

93.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 COP 12.7K

$2.74 ₽229

46.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.45 COP 42.6K

$6.18 ₽516

117.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,416

$0.89 ₽74.3

92.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 COP 7,590

$1.99 ₽166

20.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,859

$0.54 ₽45.22

125.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.1 COP 244.3K

$14.45 ₽1,206

433.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 COP 4,212

$3.65 ₽305

-63.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 COP 6,839

$0.14 ₽11.52

1442.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.53 COP 27.0K

$3.97 ₽331

114.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 COP 4,146

$0.83 ₽69.2

57.83%

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

$35.2K COP 111.8M

$51.8K ₽4.3M

-31.93%

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

$34.7K COP 110.1M

$40.6K ₽3.4M

-14.51%

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

$173 COP 549.6K

$126 ₽10.5K

38.10%

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

$13.46 COP 42.7K

$7.31 ₽610

84.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.93 COP 91.7K

$8.70 ₽726

232.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.57 COP 144.5K

$33.62 ₽2,806

35.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.17 COP 54.4K

$21.13 ₽1,764

-18.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.89 COP 21.9K

$5.46 ₽456

26.19%

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

$775 COP 2.5M

$368 ₽30.7K

110.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,077 COP 28.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.1 COP 276.0K

$56.0 ₽4,671

55.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 182.4K

$44.81 ₽3,740

28.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 436.1K

$108 ₽9,045

26.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.6 COP 312.7K

$106 ₽8,809

-6.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$633 ₽52.8K

67.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$467 ₽39.0K

32.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,905 COP 6.0M

$908 ₽75.8K

109.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 COP 3.3M

$576 ₽48.1K

78.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,089 COP 13.0M

$2,350 ₽196.1K

74.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,691 COP 5.4M

$1,486 ₽124.0K

13.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$834 ₽69.6K

-21.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

19.83

-44.83%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Rostov-on-Don: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Rostov-on-Don

$460 40.5% 25.2% $155

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Rostov-on-Don

$177 15.5% 40% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Rostov-on-Don

$140 12.3% 34.8% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Rostov-on-Don

$140 12.3% 17.9% $30

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Rostov-on-Don

$156 13.7% 7.3% $12

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Rostov-on-Don

$21 1.8% 77.9% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Rostov-on-Don

$44 3.9% 24% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $624 in Rostov-on-Don. 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 26% higher in Rostov-on-Don, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $25.00 in Rostov-on-Don. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $177 – making Rostov-on-Don the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇷🇺 Rostov-on-Don

🕒 Local time

04:36 4:36 AM

12:36 12:36 PM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,114,806

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Rostov-on-Don 11,350 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Rostov-on-Don

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 Rostov-on-Don: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,706 in Rostov-on-Don. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rostov-on-Don, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $25.00 in Rostov-on-Don. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $1,137 in Rostov-on-Don. That's a gap of about 42%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Rostov-on-Don, where all-in costs run around $1,137, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Rostov-on-Don it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Rostov-on-Don. 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.