Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Taldykorgan

For one person, living is cheaper in Taldykorgan: $937 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Taldykorgan
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$937
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Taldykorgan

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $937 in Taldykorgan, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Taldykorgan $937

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,206 in Taldykorgan, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Taldykorgan $1,206

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,476 in Taldykorgan, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Taldykorgan $1,476

Medellin costs about 81% more than Taldykorgan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Taldykorgan is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Taldykorgan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 26.8K
$4.51 ₸2,032
84.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 149.7K
$22.52 ₸10.1K
106.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.5K
$8.82 ₸3,970
7.37%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$1.37 ₸616
128.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,681
$0.45 ₸204
293.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,582
$0.34 ₸155
317.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.1K
$0.89 ₸402
253.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.3K
$1.32 ₸594
331.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Taldykorgan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,930
$1.27 ₸574
20.47%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,370
$0.43 ₸195
432.56%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,257
$1.53 ₸690
26.80%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,864
$1.31 ₸589
134.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.1K
$12.54 ₸5,646
-20.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.6K
$6.75 ₸3,042
54.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 44.9K
$5.99 ₸2,697
133.06%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.0K
$1.82 ₸819
122.53%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,916
$2.29 ₸1,032
-33.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,769
$3.03 ₸1,364
-30.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,378
$1.70 ₸765
34.71%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,785
$0.73 ₸330
189.04%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,498
$0.21 ₸94.2
714.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,764
$1.14 ₸514
2.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,083
$1.01 ₸457
56.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.6K
$1.96 ₸883
99.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.2K
$8.17 ₸3,680
71.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,667
$1.25 ₸563
40.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,724
$2.27 ₸1,021
19.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Taldykorgan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,795
$0.18 ₸79.0
555.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 245.4K
$16.78 ₸7,558
354.65%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,812
$1.03 ₸462
75.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,849
$0.68 ₸308
213.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.2K
$5.61 ₸2,527
44.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,102
$0.59 ₸266
116.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 110.8M
$28.0K ₸12.6M
23.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 109.8M
$31.1K ₸14.0M
9.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Taldykorgan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 571.7K
$87.5 ₸39.4K
103.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 44.7K
$10.59 ₸4,770
31.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 98.9K
$17.97 ₸8,093
71.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Taldykorgan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 134.9K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.0K
$3.36 ₸1,513
400.00%
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.0K
$2.61 ₸1,174
186.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Taldykorgan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.5M
$487 ₸219.6K
62.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.6M
$18.9K ₸8.5M
-34.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Taldykorgan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 277.7K
$91.8 ₸41.4K
-5.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 190.6K
$10.94 ₸4,928
441.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 445.0K
$60.5 ₸27.2K
128.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 317.8K
$60.5 ₸27.3K
63.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Taldykorgan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$553 ₸249.1K
142.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.1M
$396 ₸178.4K
68.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$1,918 ₸864.0K
2.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$306 ₸137.8K
237.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.2M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.2M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Taldykorgan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
$393 ₸176.8K
64.59%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
20.38
-46.32%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Taldykorgan: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Taldykorgan
$396 40.6% $271
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Taldykorgan
$208 32.4% $100
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Taldykorgan
$116 47.8% $106
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Taldykorgan
$89 48.3% $83
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Taldykorgan
$101 41.5% $72
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Taldykorgan
$22 76.5% $72
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Taldykorgan
$5.2 * 90.8% $52

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $553 in Taldykorgan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 65% higher in Medellin, 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 $23 in Taldykorgan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $208 – making Taldykorgan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇰🇿 Taldykorgan
🕒 Local time
16:58 4:58 PM
02:58 2:58 AM
10 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
169,462
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,217 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Taldykorgan 13,750 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Taldykorgan

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 Taldykorgan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Taldykorgan cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 81%, 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 $1,405 in Taldykorgan. 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 Taldykorgan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $553 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Taldykorgan?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $23 in Taldykorgan. 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 Taldykorgan?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $937 in Taldykorgan. That makes Taldykorgan about 45% cheaper.
Is $800 enough to cover costs in Medellin or in Taldykorgan?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,692 in Medellin and $937 in Taldykorgan. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Medellin or Taldykorgan more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Taldykorgan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Taldykorgan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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