Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Samarkand

For one person, living is cheaper in Samarkand: $636 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Samarkand
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Samarkand Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Samarkand

🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

$636

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Samarkand

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $636 in Samarkand, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Samarkand $636

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,013 in Samarkand, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Samarkand $1,013

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,391 in Samarkand, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Samarkand $1,391

Medellin costs about 158% more than Samarkand, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Samarkand is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$6.82 UZS 81.7K

18.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.7K

$19.65 UZS 235.4K

139.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.0K

$4.78 UZS 57.3K

98.74%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,532

$2.54 UZS 30.4K

18.50%

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

$1.80 COP 5,688

$0.76 UZS 9,055

136.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,465

$0.21 UZS 2,501

571.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$1.64 UZS 19.7K

93.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$2.26 UZS 27.1K

154.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,774

$1.07 UZS 12.8K

41.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,517

$0.32 UZS 3,796

643.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,601

$1.59 UZS 19.1K

11.32%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,138

$1.33 UZS 15.9K

117.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$8.19 UZS 98.1K

24.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$4.19 UZS 50.1K

135.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.2K

$10.48 UZS 125.6K

33.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$0.86 UZS 10.3K

361.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,907

$1.76 UZS 21.1K

-11.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,901

$1.71 UZS 20.5K

27.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,904

$1.71 UZS 20.5K

27.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,205

$0.51 UZS 6,166

284.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,025

$0.15 UZS 1,823

960.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,622

$0.26 UZS 3,144

342.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,930

$0.41 UZS 4,896

202.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$1.65 UZS 19.8K

140.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$3.44 UZS 41.2K

297.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,247

$1.02 UZS 12.3K

62.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,139

$2.04 UZS 24.4K

10.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,692

$0.24 UZS 2,863

387.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.6K

$3.42 UZS 40.9K

2162.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,009

$0.33 UZS 3,907

284.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,474

$0.32 UZS 3,893

540.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.0K

$3.40 UZS 40.7K

151.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,258

$1.19 UZS 14.3K

13.45%

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

$34.1K COP 107.7M

$17.3K UZS 207.4M

96.82%

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

$34.7K COP 109.6M

$21.1K UZS 252.9M

64.25%

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

$170 COP 536.4K

$41.16 UZS 493.1K

312.17%

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

$13.55 COP 42.8K

$3.92 UZS 46.9K

245.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.7K

$13.63 UZS 163.3K

105.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.2K

$39.16 UZS 469.2K

11.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.3K

$6.56 UZS 78.6K

162.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$3.21 UZS 38.5K

115.26%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$380 UZS 4.6M

109.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

$7,387 UZS 88.5M

23.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 267.8K

$20.48 UZS 245.4K

313.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.2K

$41.29 UZS 494.7K

40.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 426.7K

$75.4 UZS 903.0K

79.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.4K

$59.2 UZS 708.7K

65.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$239 UZS 2.9M

404.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$164 UZS 2.0M

291.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$457 UZS 5.5M

343.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$319 UZS 3.8M

217.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

$1,248 UZS 14.9M

234.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$536 UZS 6.4M

256.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$306 UZS 3.7M

114.78%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Samarkand: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Samarkand

$164 25.8% 74.4% $477

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Samarkand

$157 24.6% 47.3% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Samarkand

$59 9.2% 72.2% $153

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Samarkand

$116 18.3% 31.6% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Samarkand

$88 13.9% 47.7% $81

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Samarkand

$6.3 1% 93.2% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Samarkand

$46 7.2% 20.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $239 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 in Medellin are about 2.1 times higher, 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 $20 in Samarkand. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $157 – making Samarkand the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇿 Samarkand

🕒 Local time

17:49 5:49 PM

03:49 3:49 AM

10 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

573,200

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Uzbekistani Som UZS soʻm

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR

100,000 UZS = 8.35 USD

100,000 UZS = 7.49 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,162 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Uzbekistani Som exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 11,980 UZS (100,000 UZS = 8.35 USD). 1 EUR = 13,351 UZS (100,000 UZS = 7.49 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Samarkand 13,630 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Samarkand

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 Samarkand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 158%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $953 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $239 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $20 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 $1,639 in Medellin and $636 in Samarkand. That makes Samarkand about 61% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Samarkand, where all-in costs run around $636, than in Medellin at $1,639. 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.

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