Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ulan Ude

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulan Ude: $1,138 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Ulan Ude
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Ulan Ude Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Ulan Ude

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Ulan Ude

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,138 in Ulan Ude, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Ulan Ude $1,138

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,770 in Ulan Ude, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Ulan Ude $1,770

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,402 in Ulan Ude, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Ulan Ude $2,402

Medellin costs about 44% more than Ulan Ude, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$7.01 ₽565

15.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$49.90 ₽4,019

-5.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$7.38 ₽595

28.73%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$3.70 ₽298

-18.65%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.82 ₽147

-1.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$1.89 ₽153

-25.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$3.80 ₽306

-16.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$6.33 ₽510

-9.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.46 ₽117

3.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.87 ₽70.1

173.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.43 ₽115

23.78%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$2.22 ₽179

30.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$12.66 ₽1,019

-19.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$6.81 ₽548

44.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$13.50 ₽1,087

3.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.12 ₽171

87.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.86 ₽150

-16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$1.87 ₽151

16.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$2.81 ₽226

-22.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$0.67 ₽53.9

192.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$0.79 ₽63.6

101.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$2.19 ₽176

-47.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.65 ₽52.7

90.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$3.00 ₽242

32.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$6.99 ₽563

95.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.51 ₽121

9.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$1.28 ₽103

76.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.49 ₽39.36

138.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$24.50 ₽1,973

215.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.27 ₽102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.15 ₽12.31

1266.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$7.50 ₽604

14.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$0.81 ₽65.6

66.67%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$50.2K ₽4.0M

-32.16%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$37.7K ₽3.0M

-7.98%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$95.1 ₽7,655

78.49%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$4.84 ₽390

179.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$7.89 ₽635

255.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$24.48 ₽1,971

78.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$49.19 ₽3,962

-65.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$7.49 ₽603

-7.74%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$73.2 ₽5,895

15.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$30.56 ₽2,461

89.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$122 ₽9,859

10.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$126 ₽10.1K

-22.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$526 ₽42.3K

129.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$396 ₽31.9K

61.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$814 ₽65.5K

149.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$616 ₽49.6K

64.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$2,138 ₽172.2K

95.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,580 ₽127.3K

20.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$911 ₽73.4K

-27.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

21.67

-49.52%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ulan Ude: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Ulan Ude

$396 34.8% 38.2% $245

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Ulan Ude

$238 20.9% 19.9% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Ulan Ude

$108 9.5% 49% $103

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Ulan Ude

$169 14.9% 0.3% $0.5

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Ulan Ude

$158 13.9% 6.2% $11

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Ulan Ude

$28 2.5% 69.5% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Ulan Ude

$39 3.5% 31.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $526 in Ulan Ude. 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 39% higher in Ulan Ude, 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 $50 in Ulan Ude. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $238 in Ulan Ude – so Ulan Ude wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇷🇺 Ulan Ude

🕒 Local time

05:41 5:41 AM

18:41 6:41 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

436,138

💱 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 89.87 RUB (100 RUB = 1.11 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Ulan Ude 13,550 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Ulan Ude

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 Ulan Ude: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,706 in Ulan Ude. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ulan Ude, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $526 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Public transport costs about 68% less in Ulan Ude. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,138 in Ulan Ude, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,138 in Ulan Ude to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.