Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Surgut

For one person, living is cheaper in Surgut: $1,136 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Surgut, Russia
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Surgut
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,136
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Surgut

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $1,136 in Surgut, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Surgut $1,136

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,720 in Surgut, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Surgut $1,720

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $2,305 in Surgut, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Surgut $2,305

Medellin costs about 49% more than Surgut, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Surgut is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Surgut
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 27.0K
$12.02 ₽985
-30.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.9K
$37.39 ₽3,064
24.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.7K
$7.08 ₽580
33.76%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.2K
$2.62 ₽215
19.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,727
$1.10 ₽90.5
60.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,619
$0.64 ₽52.1
121.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$1.93 ₽158
63.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.5K
$2.70 ₽221
111.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Surgut
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,969
$1.26 ₽103
21.43%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,429
$0.69 ₽56.4
231.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,306
$1.30 ₽106
49.23%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,942
$1.54 ₽126
99.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.4K
$10.93 ₽896
-8.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.9K
$5.04 ₽413
107.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.3K
$11.47 ₽940
21.71%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$1.99 ₽163
103.52%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,956
$1.77 ₽145
-13.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,823
$1.91 ₽157
9.95%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,437
$3.48 ₽285
-34.20%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,839
$0.91 ₽74.6
131.87%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,542
$0.55 ₽44.88
210.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,794
$1.56 ₽128
-25.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,123
$0.61 ₽50.3
159.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.7K
$2.63 ₽216
48.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.5K
$8.23 ₽674
70.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,712
$1.22 ₽100
44.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,793
$2.05 ₽168
32.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Surgut
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,825
$0.53 ₽43.82
122.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 247.4K
$30.61 ₽2,509
149.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,859
$2.60 ₽213
-30.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,904
$0.34 ₽28.16
526.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.4K
$6.27 ₽514
29.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,135
$0.89 ₽72.7
43.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.7M
$60.3K ₽4.9M
-42.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.7M
$43.1K ₽3.5M
-20.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Surgut
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 576.3K
$133 ₽10.9K
33.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 45.0K
$6.15 ₽504
125.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.7K
$9.23 ₽757
233.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Surgut
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 136.0K
$39.81 ₽3,263
5.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.5K
$26.16 ₽2,144
-35.78%
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.2K
$6.04 ₽495
23.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Surgut
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.6M
$343 ₽28.1K
130.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.9M
$6,248 ₽512.1K
96.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Surgut
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 279.9K
$89.5 ₽7,334
-3.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 192.2K
$55.0 ₽4,504
7.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 448.6K
$139 ₽11.4K
-0.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 320.4K
$117 ₽9,563
-15.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Surgut
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$556 ₽45.6K
141.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$335 ₽27.5K
99.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$905 ₽74.1K
118.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$514 ₽42.1K
101.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.3M
$2,368 ₽194.1K
73.08%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
$1,304 ₽106.9K
48.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Surgut
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
21.33
-48.71%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Surgut: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Surgut
$335 49.8% $332
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Surgut
$213 30.7% $94
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Surgut
$149 33.1% $74
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Surgut
$171 1% $1.7
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Surgut
$180 4.4% $7.6
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Surgut
$37 60.3% $56
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Surgut
$52 8.8% $5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $556 in Surgut. 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 Surgut. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $213 – making Surgut the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇷🇺 Surgut
🕒 Local time
00:05 12:05 AM
10:05 10:05 AM
10 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
406,938
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,650 COP (10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 81.97 RUB (100 RUB = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 92.27 RUB (100 RUB = 1.08 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Surgut 12,040 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Surgut

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 Surgut: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Surgut cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 49%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $1,704 in Surgut. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Surgut, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $556 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Surgut?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $37 in Surgut. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Surgut?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $1,136 in Surgut. That makes Surgut about 33% cheaper.
Is $1,000 enough to cover costs in Medellin or in Surgut?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,692 in Medellin and $1,136 in Surgut. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Medellin or Surgut more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Surgut – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Surgut is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 33% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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