Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Shakhty Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Shakhty

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $976 in Shakhty, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,520 in Shakhty, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $2,063 in Shakhty, rent included.

Medellin costs about 68% more than Shakhty, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Shakhty is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.9K

$9.58 ₽817

-16.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 149.7K

$36.51 ₽3,112

32.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.2K

$6.21 ₽529

51.69%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,105

$2.28 ₽194

28.95%

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

$1.86 COP 5,776

$1.08 ₽91.7

72.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,511

$0.57 ₽48.35

156.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,953

$1.76 ₽150

82.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.7K

$2.73 ₽232

109.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,460

$1.16 ₽98.8

24.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,442

$0.79 ₽67.1

203.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,265

$1.24 ₽106

37.10%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,960

$1.64 ₽140

76.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.2K

$9.81 ₽836

2.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.9K

$4.49 ₽383

122.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 44.0K

$8.91 ₽759

59.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.51 ₽128

163.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,913

$1.69 ₽144

-6.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,671

$1.96 ₽167

9.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,129

$2.76 ₽235

-16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,213

$0.73 ₽62.0

173.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,679

$0.56 ₽47.70

169.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,727

$1.43 ₽122

-16.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,974

$0.68 ₽58.0

88.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.9K

$2.71 ₽231

41.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.4K

$6.83 ₽582

105.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,294

$0.97 ₽82.4

76.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,500

$2.17 ₽185

26.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,861

$0.53 ₽45.58

135.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 241.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,045

$1.98 ₽169

-33.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,728

$0.29 ₽24.95

648.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.7K

$5.83 ₽497

42.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,202

$0.82 ₽69.8

65.85%

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

$27.5K COP 85.2M

$28.2K ₽2.4M

-2.69%

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

$36.5K COP 113.2M

$35.1K ₽3.0M

4.13%

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

$169 COP 523.0K

$107 ₽9,128

57.55%

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

$13.57 COP 42.1K

$6.13 ₽523

121.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.8K

$7.18 ₽612

294.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 141.7K

$35.69 ₽3,042

28.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.4K

$23.10 ₽1,969

-25.45%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$6.44 ₽549

3.26%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$316 ₽26.9K

154.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.5M

$6,161 ₽525.1K

49.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 270.8K

$74.7 ₽6,368

16.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 184.0K

$51.4 ₽4,379

15.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 430.5K

$100 ₽8,531

38.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 316.3K

$86.5 ₽7,370

18.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$435 ₽37.1K

145.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$278 ₽23.7K

135.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 6.0M

$702 ₽59.8K

174.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$512 ₽43.6K

104.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.8M

$2,208 ₽188.2K

86.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.3M

$1,383 ₽117.9K

22.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-47.90%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Shakhty: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $435 in Shakhty. 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $37.00 in Shakhty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $189 – making Shakhty 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 Shakhty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 68%, 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 $1,464 in Shakhty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shakhty, 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 $37.00 in Shakhty. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 59% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shakhty, where all-in costs run around $976, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Shakhty it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shakhty – 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 Shakhty. 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.