Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tuapse Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tuapse

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,056 in Tuapse, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,649 in Tuapse, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,241 in Tuapse, rent included.

Medellin costs about 59% more than Tuapse, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Tuapse is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$11.84 ₽1,000

-32.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$46.53 ₽3,931

2.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$5.63 ₽476

75.67%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.92 ₽247

7.19%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.25 ₽106

52.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.60 ₽51.0

151.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.15 ₽96.8

171.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.97 ₽251

93.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.13 ₽95.2

27.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.88 ₽74.2

182.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.25 ₽105

41.60%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.55 ₽131

90.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$10.88 ₽919

-7.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$5.13 ₽433

97.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$10.42 ₽881

37.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.45 ₽122

185.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.90 ₽161

-15.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.74 ₽147

29.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$2.49 ₽210

-9.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.73 ₽61.6

179.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.55 ₽46.73

180.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.31 ₽111

-10.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.63 ₽52.8

107.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.64 ₽223

47.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$5.76 ₽487

143.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.01 ₽85.1

72.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.13 ₽180

34.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.49 ₽41.70

148.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$2.34 ₽197

-44.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.30 ₽25.35

630.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$6.80 ₽574

28.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.83 ₽69.9

65.06%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$34.6K ₽2.9M

-19.60%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$26.7K ₽2.3M

34.22%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$114 ₽9,611

55.85%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$7.30 ₽617

90.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$9.26 ₽782

220.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$34.10 ₽2,881

31.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$23.68 ₽2,000

-27.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$9.84 ₽831

-32.42%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$309 ₽26.1K

162.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$6,224 ₽525.9K

47.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$85.9 ₽7,254

4.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$74.2 ₽6,270

-20.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$129 ₽10.9K

7.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$115 ₽9,712

-11.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$452 ₽38.2K

134.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$306 ₽25.8K

116.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$792 ₽66.9K

138.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$537 ₽45.4K

91.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,211 ₽186.8K

89.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,438 ₽121.5K

16.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

21.86

-49.95%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Tuapse: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $452 in Tuapse. 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 $47.00 in Tuapse. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $196 – making Tuapse 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 Tuapse: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 59%, 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 $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,585 in Tuapse. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tuapse, 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 $47.00 in Tuapse. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 56% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tuapse, where all-in costs run around $1,056, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Tuapse it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tuapse – 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 Tuapse. 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.