Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tomsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Tomsk: $1,147 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Tomsk
Learn more

Tomsk Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Tomsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,147

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Tomsk

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,147 in Tomsk, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Tomsk $1,147

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,768 in Tomsk, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Tomsk $1,768

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,389 in Tomsk, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Tomsk $2,389

Medellin costs about 43% more than Tomsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Tomsk is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$8.05 ₽649

0.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$30.48 ₽2,455

54.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$6.68 ₽538

42.22%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$2.21 ₽178

36.20%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$0.91 ₽73.0

97.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.42 ₽33.62

235.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$1.17 ₽94.3

171.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$3.34 ₽269

72.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.23 ₽99.0

22.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$0.70 ₽56.5

240.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$0.99 ₽79.7

78.79%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$1.36 ₽109

112.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$12.20 ₽983

-16.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$4.71 ₽379

109.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$9.92 ₽799

41.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.73 ₽139

129.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$1.95 ₽157

-20.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$2.23 ₽179

-2.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$2.94 ₽237

-25.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$0.47 ₽37.55

317.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$0.36 ₽28.81

341.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$1.74 ₽140

-33.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.51 ₽40.72

143.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$2.79 ₽225

41.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$6.17 ₽497

121.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$0.92 ₽73.9

80.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$1.65 ₽133

36.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.45 ₽36.62

160.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$18.51 ₽1,490

317.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$2.42 ₽195

-47.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$0.32 ₽26.00

540.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$7.27 ₽586

17.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$0.83 ₽66.8

62.65%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$54.1K ₽4.4M

-37.03%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$41.8K ₽3.4M

-17.01%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$169 ₽13.6K

0.37%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$8.39 ₽676

61.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$13.60 ₽1,095

106.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$39.40 ₽3,173

10.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$16.58 ₽1,335

3.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$4.87 ₽393

41.89%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$252 ₽20.3K

216.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$122 ₽9,814

-30.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$74.6 ₽6,010

-22.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$176 ₽14.2K

-23.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$126 ₽10.1K

-22.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$511 ₽41.2K

136.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$332 ₽26.7K

93.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$828 ₽66.7K

144.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$651 ₽52.4K

55.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$2,096 ₽168.8K

98.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,534 ₽123.5K

24.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$930 ₽74.9K

-29.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-50.27%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tomsk: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Tomsk

$332 28.9% 48.3% $310

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Tomsk

$198 17.3% 33.4% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Tomsk

$191 16.7% 9.6% $20

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Tomsk

$129 11.2% 24% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Tomsk

$224 19.6% 32.7% $55

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Tomsk

$24 2.1% 74% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Tomsk

$49 4.3% 14.6% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $511 in Tomsk. 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 42% higher in Tomsk, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $30 in Tomsk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $198 – making Tomsk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇷🇺 Tomsk

🕒 Local time

05:15 5:15 AM

17:15 5:15 PM

12 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

551,505

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 89.92 RUB (100 RUB = 1.11 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Tomsk 12,810 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Tomsk

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 Tomsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 43%, 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 $1,721 in Tomsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tomsk, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $511 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $30 in Tomsk. 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 $1,147 in Tomsk. That makes Tomsk about 30% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,147 in Tomsk. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, Tomsk is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 30% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.