Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Samarkand Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Samarkand

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $632 in Samarkand, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,023 in Samarkand, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,413 in Samarkand, rent included.

Medellin costs about 160% more than Samarkand, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Samarkand is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$6.91 UZS 81.2K

16.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$19.86 UZS 233.6K

143.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$4.78 UZS 56.2K

97.07%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.47 UZS 29.1K

19.03%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.69 UZS 8,116

169.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.19 UZS 2,217

668.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.50 UZS 17.6K

114.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.23 UZS 26.2K

156.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.08 UZS 12.8K

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.33 UZS 3,834

627.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.63 UZS 19.2K

4.29%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.39 UZS 16.3K

107.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$8.28 UZS 97.4K

21.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$4.38 UZS 51.5K

127.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$10.63 UZS 125.0K

33.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$0.81 UZS 9,513

391.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.83 UZS 21.5K

-13.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.75 UZS 20.6K

22.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.73 UZS 20.3K

32.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.49 UZS 5,748

308.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.17 UZS 2,013

788.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.24 UZS 2,814

400.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.40 UZS 4,720

220.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$1.67 UZS 19.7K

129.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$3.32 UZS 39.0K

321.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$0.99 UZS 11.7K

72.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.14 UZS 25.1K

28.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.26 UZS 3,066

380.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$3.32 UZS 39.1K

2246.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$0.37 UZS 4,311

254.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.32 UZS 3,804

578.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$3.40 UZS 39.9K

143.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.10 UZS 12.9K

23.64%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$16.9K UZS 198.4M

62.83%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$24.2K UZS 284.8M

50.87%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$43.06 UZS 506.4K

291.83%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$3.86 UZS 45.4K

251.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$13.68 UZS 160.9K

107.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$39.94 UZS 469.7K

14.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$6.94 UZS 81.6K

148.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$3.22 UZS 37.8K

106.52%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$331 UZS 3.9M

142.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$7,569 UZS 89.0M

21.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$20.85 UZS 245.2K

318.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$43.23 UZS 508.4K

37.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$76.5 UZS 899.8K

81.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$59.5 UZS 699.3K

71.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$250 UZS 2.9M

328.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$166 UZS 2.0M

293.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$469 UZS 5.5M

310.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$319 UZS 3.8M

228.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,263 UZS 14.9M

226.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$558 UZS 6.6M

204.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$311 UZS 3.7M

110.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

23.31

-53.07%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Samarkand: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $250 in Samarkand. 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 110% 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $20.00 in Samarkand. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $159 – making Samarkand the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Samarkand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 160%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $948 in Samarkand. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Samarkand, 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $20.00 in Samarkand. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Medellin and $632 in Samarkand. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Samarkand, where all-in costs run around $632, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Samarkand it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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.

If budget matters most, go with Samarkand. 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.