Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ulaanbaatar Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ulaanbaatar

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,160 in Ulaanbaatar, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,925 in Ulaanbaatar, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $2,691 in Ulaanbaatar, rent included.

Medellin costs about 42% more than Ulaanbaatar, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Ulaanbaatar is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$5.54 MNT 19.9K

45.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$32.58 MNT 117.1K

48.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$5.40 MNT 19.4K

74.44%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.38 MNT 8,567

23.53%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.83 MNT 2,974

124.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.57 MNT 2,032

156.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.31 MNT 8,312

38.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.25 MNT 11.7K

75.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.45 MNT 5,219

-0.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.97 MNT 3,502

147.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$2.06 MNT 7,402

-17.48%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.15 MNT 7,747

34.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$12.41 MNT 44.6K

-18.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$4.85 MNT 17.4K

105.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$7.16 MNT 25.7K

98.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.19 MNT 11.5K

24.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$2.38 MNT 8,547

-33.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$3.64 MNT 13.1K

-40.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$3.12 MNT 11.2K

-26.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.70 MNT 2,499

185.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.04 MNT 3,756

45.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.75 MNT 6,280

-31.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.79 MNT 2,847

62.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$1.77 MNT 6,353

116.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$10.61 MNT 38.1K

32.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.50 MNT 5,388

14.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$1.72 MNT 6,200

59.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.29 MNT 1,045

331.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$16.54 MNT 59.5K

370.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$0.51 MNT 1,846

156.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.54 MNT 1,929

301.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$6.23 MNT 22.4K

33.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.06 MNT 3,803

28.30%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$27.3K MNT 98.3M

0.47%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$34.5K MNT 124.0M

5.94%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$69.8 MNT 250.8K

141.89%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$7.47 MNT 26.8K

81.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$13.90 MNT 50.0K

103.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$67.1 MNT 241.1K

-31.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$18.23 MNT 65.5K

-5.54%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$4.08 MNT 14.7K

62.99%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$813 MNT 2.9M

-1.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$8,436 MNT 30.3M

8.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$83.6 MNT 300.7K

4.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$44.65 MNT 160.5K

32.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$105 MNT 377.1K

32.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$190 MNT 683.9K

-46.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$586 MNT 2.1M

82.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$452 MNT 1.6M

44.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,695 MNT 6.1M

13.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$1,020 MNT 3.7M

2.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,928 MNT 6.9M

113.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$955 MNT 3.4M

77.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$592 MNT 2.1M

10.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.32

6.01%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $586 in Ulaanbaatar. 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 11% 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $33.00 in Ulaanbaatar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $237 – making Ulaanbaatar 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 Ulaanbaatar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 42%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,739 in Ulaanbaatar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ulaanbaatar, 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 $33.00 in Ulaanbaatar. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Medellin and $1,160 in Ulaanbaatar. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ulaanbaatar, where all-in costs run around $1,160, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Ulaanbaatar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ulaanbaatar – 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 Ulaanbaatar. 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.