Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Vladikavkaz

For one person, living is cheaper in Vladikavkaz: $1,034 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 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
50

Cost of Living Index in Vladikavkaz
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Vladikavkaz Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Vladikavkaz

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,034

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Vladikavkaz

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,034 in Vladikavkaz, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Vladikavkaz $1,034

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,637 in Vladikavkaz, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Vladikavkaz $1,637

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $2,239 in Vladikavkaz, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Vladikavkaz $2,239

Medellin costs about 56% more than Vladikavkaz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Vladikavkaz is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$11.07 ₽924

-28.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$33.72 ₽2,814

36.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$5.56 ₽464

70.86%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$2.76 ₽231

12.68%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$1.09 ₽90.9

67.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.58 ₽48.12

137.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$1.58 ₽132

93.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$3.11 ₽260

76.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.15 ₽96.4

26.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$0.76 ₽63.3

210.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.58 ₽132

6.33%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$1.57 ₽131

82.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$12.21 ₽1,019

-16.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$5.35 ₽446

78.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$11.23 ₽937

25.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$1.97 ₽165

106.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.99 ₽166

-24.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$1.70 ₽142

27.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$2.60 ₽217

-11.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$0.73 ₽61.1

164.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$0.57 ₽47.75

187.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$1.25 ₽104

-9.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.82 ₽68.6

52.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$3.30 ₽275

20.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$7.76 ₽648

72.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$0.97 ₽81.1

75.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$1.76 ₽147

34.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.57 ₽47.26

112.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$2.44 ₽203

-45.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.38 ₽31.75

463.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$5.92 ₽494

43.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$0.84 ₽70.5

54.76%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$38.4K ₽3.2M

-27.16%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$29.1K ₽2.4M

21.81%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$120 ₽9,985

43.85%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$5.31 ₽443

151.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$8.27 ₽690

247.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$31.46 ₽2,626

43.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$27.21 ₽2,271

-37.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$6.44 ₽538

-2.48%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$333 ₽27.8K

131.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$6,934 ₽578.7K

29.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$76.8 ₽6,411

12.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$48.10 ₽4,014

18.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$106 ₽8,843

28.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$114 ₽9,540

-14.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$450 ₽37.5K

134.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$323 ₽27.0K

90.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$878 ₽73.3K

115.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$636 ₽53.0K

60.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$1,977 ₽165.0K

105.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$1,284 ₽107.2K

30.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

21.45

-49.00%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Vladikavkaz: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Vladikavkaz

$323 31.2% 47.5% $293

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Vladikavkaz

$213 20.6% 27.9% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Vladikavkaz

$133 12.9% 37.8% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Vladikavkaz

$155 15% 8.7% $15

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Vladikavkaz

$159 15.4% 5.5% $9.2

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Vladikavkaz

$6.6 * 0.6% 92.9% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Vladikavkaz

$44 4.3% 23.3% $13

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $450 in Vladikavkaz. 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $34.00 in Vladikavkaz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $213 – making Vladikavkaz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇷🇺 Vladikavkaz

🕒 Local time

08:09 8:09 AM

16:09 4:09 PM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

301,543

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 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 October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Vladikavkaz 11,900 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

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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 Vladikavkaz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 56%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,551 in Vladikavkaz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vladikavkaz, 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 $46.00 in Medellin and $34.00 in Vladikavkaz. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Vladikavkaz, where all-in costs run around $1,034, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Vladikavkaz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Vladikavkaz. 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.