Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Semey

For one person, living is cheaper in Semey: $712 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Semey
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Semey Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Semey

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$712

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Semey

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $712 in Semey, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Semey $712

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,148 in Semey, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Semey $1,148

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,584 in Semey, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Semey $1,584

Medellin costs about 130% more than Semey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Semey is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$4.93 ₸2,235

64.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$21.82 ₸9,898

115.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$5.49 ₸2,491

73.04%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$1.70 ₸771

77.06%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.76 ₸345

136.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.48 ₸216

193.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$0.91 ₸412

249.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$1.35 ₸614

325.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.03 ₸469

46.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.37 ₸167

543.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.86 ₸845

-4.84%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$1.53 ₸693

88.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$5.36 ₸2,432

90.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$3.86 ₸1,751

155.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$5.43 ₸2,461

157.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.23 ₸559

222.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.65 ₸748

-6.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$1.72 ₸781

26.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.69 ₸768

28.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$0.39 ₸176

402.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$0.60 ₸274

165.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$1.02 ₸461

12.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.99 ₸448

25.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$2.46 ₸1,116

60.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$7.24 ₸3,282

88.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.31 ₸596

26.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$2.20 ₸998

2.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.25 ₸114

368.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$15.69 ₸7,119

393.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.29 ₸586

-1.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$1.14 ₸515

79.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$6.54 ₸2,968

30.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$0.65 ₸293

107.69%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$32.4K ₸14.7M

5.24%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$26.3K ₸11.9M

31.94%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$33.66 ₸15.3K

404.01%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$9.01 ₸4,088

50.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$18.84 ₸8,544

48.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$42.36 ₸19.2K

3.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$11.23 ₸5,095

53.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$4.39 ₸1,993

57.40%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$132 ₸60.0K

502.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$4,406 ₸2.0M

106.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$28.90 ₸13.1K

193.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$25.47 ₸11.6K

127.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$100 ₸45.4K

34.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$76.6 ₸34.7K

27.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$339 ₸153.5K

256.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$229 ₸103.8K

180.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$611 ₸276.9K

232.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$489 ₸221.6K

107.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,205 ₸546.7K

246.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$739 ₸335.4K

158.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

19.25

-43.17%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Semey: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Semey

$229 32.2% 64.3% $413

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Semey

$154 21.7% 48% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Semey

$62 8.6% 70.9% $150

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Semey

$88 12.4% 47.8% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Semey

$104 14.6% 38.5% $65

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Semey

$24 3.3% 74.7% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Semey

$51 7.2% 11.1% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $339 in Semey. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $22 in Semey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $154 – making Semey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇰🇿 Semey

🕒 Local time

06:41 6:41 AM

16:41 4:41 PM

10 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

310,456

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 454 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Semey 13,300 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Semey

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 Semey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 130%, 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 $1,068 in Semey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Semey, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $339 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $22 in Semey. 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 $712 in Semey. That makes Semey about 57% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Semey, where all-in costs run around $712, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Semey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Semey is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 57% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.