Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Vladivostok

For one person, living is cheaper in Vladivostok: $1,426 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Vladivostok, Russia
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Vladivostok
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,426
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Vladivostok

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,426 in Vladivostok, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Vladivostok $1,426

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,117 in Vladivostok, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Vladivostok $2,117

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,808 in Vladivostok, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Vladivostok $2,808

Medellin costs about 15% more than Vladivostok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Medellin and Vladivostok sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Vladivostok by 5%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Vladivostok
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$12.58 ₽1,013
-35.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.7K
$36.68 ₽2,954
28.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.6K
$6.95 ₽560
36.69%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,722
$3.57 ₽288
-15.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,801
$1.21 ₽97.6
48.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,554
$0.71 ₽56.9
98.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.2K
$1.45 ₽117
119.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.5K
$2.39 ₽193
140.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Vladivostok
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,869
$1.74 ₽140
-13.22%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,667
$0.68 ₽54.9
250.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,712
$1.73 ₽139
2.31%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,320
$2.47 ₽199
17.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$14.00 ₽1,128
-27.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.8K
$6.59 ₽531
49.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.1K
$11.99 ₽965
16.68%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$3.05 ₽246
30.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,005
$2.11 ₽170
-26.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,039
$2.80 ₽225
-22.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,041
$4.49 ₽362
-51.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,328
$1.06 ₽85.5
84.91%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,125
$1.05 ₽84.4
51.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,694
$1.34 ₽108
-14.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,009
$1.11 ₽89.2
11.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$3.16 ₽255
25.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.1K
$7.82 ₽630
74.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,352
$1.27 ₽103
30.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,281
$2.32 ₽187
-2.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Vladivostok
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,766
$0.63 ₽50.9
85.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.5K
$38.54 ₽3,104
100.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,089
$2.50 ₽202
-49.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,603
$0.60 ₽48.69
241.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$12.27 ₽988
-30.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,343
$0.89 ₽71.3
51.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 109.8M
$53.1K ₽4.3M
-35.86%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.8M
$41.2K ₽3.3M
-15.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Vladivostok
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.0K
$165 ₽13.3K
3.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.7K
$8.60 ₽692
57.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.5K
$9.68 ₽780
189.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Vladivostok
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 140.9K
$43.37 ₽3,493
0.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.4K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$6.68 ₽538
3.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Vladivostok
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$844 ₽68.0K
-5.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Vladivostok
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.2K
$122 ₽9,808
-30.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 186.9K
$62.0 ₽4,991
-6.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.2K
$102 ₽8,229
32.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 315.6K
$129 ₽10.4K
-24.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Vladivostok
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$586 ₽47.2K
106.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$505 ₽40.7K
27.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$1,357 ₽109.3K
49.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$813 ₽65.5K
24.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.4M
$3,241 ₽261.0K
28.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$2,350 ₽189.3K
-18.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Vladivostok
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$1,071 ₽86.2K
-38.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
23.6
-53.64%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Vladivostok: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Vladivostok
$505 21.3% $137
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Vladivostok
$264 11.1% $33
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Vladivostok
$183 13.4% $28
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Vladivostok
$184 8.5% $14
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Vladivostok
$187 10.4% $18
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Vladivostok
$47 50.2% $47
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Vladivostok
$57 1.4% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $586 in Vladivostok. 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 63% higher in Vladivostok, 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 $37 in Vladivostok. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $264 – making Vladivostok the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇷🇺 Vladivostok
🕒 Local time
14:39 2:39 PM
05:39 5:39 AM
15 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
600,871
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 31, 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 October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 89.92 RUB (100 RUB = 1.11 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Vladivostok 13,860 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Vladivostok

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 Vladivostok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Vladivostok cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,139 in Vladivostok. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Vladivostok, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $586 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Vladivostok?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $37 in Vladivostok. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Vladivostok?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,426 in Vladivostok. That makes Vladivostok about 13% cheaper.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Vladivostok?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,426 in Vladivostok to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Vladivostok is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 13% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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