Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Rustavi

For one person, living is cheaper in Rustavi: $848 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Rustavi
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Rustavi Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Rustavi

🇬🇪 Georgia

$848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Rustavi

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $848 in Rustavi, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Rustavi $848

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,263 in Rustavi, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Rustavi $1,263

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,679 in Rustavi, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Rustavi $1,679

Medellin costs about 100% more than Rustavi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Rustavi is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$10.20 ₾26.38

-18.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$30.57 ₾79.1

52.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$10.62 ₾27.48

-10.83%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$1.99 ₾5.15

57.29%

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

$1.77 COP 5,728

$0.75 ₾1.95

136.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,620

$0.51 ₾1.32

178.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.24 ₾3.20

154.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$1.98 ₾5.13

187.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,971

$1.73 ₾4.48

-11.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,431

$0.51 ₾1.31

349.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,308

$1.22 ₾3.15

59.02%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,945

$2.34 ₾6.06

31.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$5.97 ₾15.44

67.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$4.89 ₾12.66

113.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$9.70 ₾25.10

43.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$0.98 ₾2.54

313.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,957

$1.60 ₾4.14

-4.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,825

$1.50 ₾3.88

40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,439

$1.09 ₾2.81

110.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,841

$0.77 ₾1.98

174.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,543

$0.66 ₾1.70

159.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,795

$1.26 ₾3.27

-7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,125

$0.70 ₾1.81

125.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$3.22 ₾8.32

21.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.6K

$3.78 ₾9.77

271.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,714

$1.58 ₾4.10

11.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,796

$2.52 ₾6.52

7.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,826

$0.37 ₾0.95

218.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

$11.35 ₾29.35

572.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,860

$0.73 ₾1.90

147.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,906

$0.37 ₾0.97

475.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$3.92 ₾10.13

107.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,136

$1.27 ₾3.28

0.79%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$23.5K ₾60.8K

46.55%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$9,645 ₾25.0K

253.88%

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

$178 COP 576.4K

$77.0 ₾199

130.85%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$7.84 ₾20.28

77.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$11.51 ₾29.78

167.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

$27.33 ₾70.7

53.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

$19.31 ₾49.97

-13.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$4.78 ₾12.37

56.28%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$130 ₾337

505.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$2,684 ₾6,946

358.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 280.0K

$57.1 ₾148

51.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$40.57 ₾105

46.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.7K

$95.4 ₾247

44.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.5K

$85.7 ₾222

15.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$275 ₾712

387.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$250 ₾646

167.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$463 ₾1,197

327.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$308 ₾796

235.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

$1,037 ₾2,684

295.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$776 ₾2,008

149.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$447 ₾1,156

44.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-15.85%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Rustavi: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Rustavi

$250 29.4% 62.6% $417

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Rustavi

$172 20.2% 44.2% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Rustavi

$96 11.4% 56.7% $126

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Rustavi

$153 18% 11.6% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Rustavi

$125 14.8% 27.1% $47

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Rustavi

$15 1.8% 83.5% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Rustavi

$37 4.4% 35.2% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $275 in Rustavi. 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 45% 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 $31 in Rustavi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $172 – making Rustavi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇬🇪 Rustavi

🕒 Local time

01:02 1:02 AM

10:02 10:02 AM

9 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

132,333

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Georgian Lari GEL ₾

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 GEL = 0.387 USD

1 GEL = 0.346 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GEL, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,627 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Georgian Lari exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 2.59 GEL (1 GEL = 0.387 USD). 1 EUR = 2.89 GEL (1 GEL = 0.346 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Rustavi 11,990 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Rustavi

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 Rustavi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 100%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $1,272 in Rustavi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rustavi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $275 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $31 in Rustavi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $848 in Rustavi. That makes Rustavi about 50% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Rustavi, where all-in costs run around $848, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Rustavi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rustavi – 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 Rustavi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.