Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Shchelkovo

For one person, living is cheaper in Shchelkovo: $1,054 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Shchelkovo
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Shchelkovo Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Shchelkovo

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,054

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Shchelkovo

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $1,054 in Shchelkovo, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Shchelkovo $1,054

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,657 in Shchelkovo, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Shchelkovo $1,657

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $2,260 in Shchelkovo, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Shchelkovo $2,260

Medellin costs about 60% more than Shchelkovo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Shchelkovo is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$6.07 ₽496

37.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.1K

$37.25 ₽3,048

24.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.5K

$7.55 ₽618

25.43%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$3.12 ₽255

0.32%

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

$1.77 COP 5,696

$1.05 ₽86.0

68.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,594

$0.65 ₽53.0

118.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$0.88 ₽72.3

257.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$1.87 ₽153

204.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,943

$1.14 ₽93.1

34.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,389

$1.04 ₽84.7

120.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,273

$2.31 ₽189

-16.02%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,889

$1.67 ₽136

83.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.2K

$9.65 ₽790

3.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$6.73 ₽551

55.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.0K

$11.69 ₽957

19.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$1.32 ₽108

206.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,929

$1.30 ₽107

17.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,786

$1.28 ₽104

64.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$2.52 ₽206

-9.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,803

$1.01 ₽82.8

108.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,512

$0.38 ₽30.86

350.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$0.64 ₽52.5

82.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,096

$0.58 ₽47.13

172.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$2.73 ₽223

43.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$6.33 ₽518

121.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,682

$0.93 ₽76.3

89.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,746

$1.89 ₽155

43.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,805

$0.57 ₽46.45

107.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.0K

$26.43 ₽2,163

188.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,827

$4.32 ₽354

-58.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,867

$0.30 ₽24.15

610.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.2K

$4.83 ₽396

68.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,113

$0.88 ₽72.0

45.45%

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

$34.4K COP 111.1M

$54.3K ₽4.4M

-36.59%

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

$34.1K COP 110.1M

$42.7K ₽3.5M

-20.00%

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

$178 COP 573.2K

$109 ₽8,916

63.13%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$4.84 ₽396

186.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.1K

$5.69 ₽466

440.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.3K

$33.46 ₽2,739

25.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

$23.59 ₽1,930

-28.78%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$6.81 ₽557

9.69%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$215 ₽17.6K

268.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$3,621 ₽296.3K

239.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.4K

$52.6 ₽4,307

64.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.1K

$30.62 ₽2,506

93.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.2K

$141 ₽11.6K

-2.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 318.7K

$152 ₽12.4K

-34.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$460 ₽37.7K

191.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$359 ₽29.4K

85.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$1,023 ₽83.7K

93.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$670 ₽54.8K

54.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$2,527 ₽206.8K

62.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,354 ₽110.8K

43.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-42.42%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Shchelkovo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Shchelkovo

$359 34.1% 46.2% $308

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Shchelkovo

$202 19.1% 34.4% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Shchelkovo

$119 11.3% 46.3% $103

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Shchelkovo

$124 11.7% 28.4% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Shchelkovo

$169 16.1% 1.7% $3

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Shchelkovo

$35 3.3% 63.1% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Shchelkovo

$47 4.5% 17.2% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $460 in Shchelkovo. 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 $37 in Shchelkovo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $202 – making Shchelkovo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇷🇺 Shchelkovo

🕒 Local time

01:48 1:48 AM

09:48 9:48 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

100 RUB = 1.22 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,631 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 81.84 RUB (100 RUB = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 92.13 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Shchelkovo 10,850 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Shchelkovo

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 Shchelkovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 60%, 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 $1,582 in Shchelkovo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shchelkovo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $460 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $37 in Shchelkovo. 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 $1,054 in Shchelkovo. That makes Shchelkovo about 38% cheaper.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Shchelkovo, where all-in costs run around $1,054, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Shchelkovo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Shchelkovo is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 38% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.