Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Yakutsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Yakutsk: $1,267 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Yakutsk
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Yakutsk Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Yakutsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Yakutsk

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $1,267 in Yakutsk, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Yakutsk $1,267

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,829 in Yakutsk, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Yakutsk $1,829

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $2,391 in Yakutsk, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Yakutsk $2,391

Medellin costs about 28% more than Yakutsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Yakutsk is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$14.54 ₽1,214

-42.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$42.12 ₽3,515

11.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$9.14 ₽762

1.09%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$4.32 ₽360

-29.40%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.72 ₽143

4.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.93 ₽78.0

48.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$3.57 ₽298

-9.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$2.44 ₽204

127.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.91 ₽159

-21.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$0.96 ₽80.0

146.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.67 ₽140

1.80%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.20 ₽183

34.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$13.78 ₽1,150

-25.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$8.03 ₽670

21.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$12.70 ₽1,060

9.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$3.06 ₽256

34.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$2.45 ₽205

-37.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$3.19 ₽267

-30.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$5.09 ₽425

-55.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.23 ₽102

61.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.14 ₽94.8

46.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.18 ₽98.6

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$1.06 ₽88.4

16.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$9.72 ₽811

41.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.42 ₽118

16.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$3.03 ₽253

-20.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.71 ₽59.6

74.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$20.12 ₽1,679

288.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$1.98 ₽166

-35.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.21 ₽17.48

923.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$4.94 ₽413

69.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$0.88 ₽73.7

53.41%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$18.1K ₽1.5M

91.91%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$19.6K ₽1.6M

76.72%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$201 ₽16.8K

-17.07%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$4.80 ₽400

183.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$10.85 ₽905

168.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$72.8 ₽6,072

-38.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$7.29 ₽608

-4.39%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$471 ₽39.3K

67.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$922 ₽76.9K

11.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$420 ₽35.1K

47.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$1,226 ₽102.3K

53.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$595 ₽49.6K

69.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$2,213 ₽184.7K

80.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,938 ₽161.7K

-12.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$974 ₽81.3K

-31.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-47.90%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Yakutsk: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Yakutsk

$420 33.2% 32.1% $199

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Yakutsk

$288 22.7% 3.3% $9.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Yakutsk

$217 17.1% 3.4% $7.2

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Yakutsk

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Yakutsk

$229 18.1% 34% $58

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Yakutsk

$26 2.1% 72.7% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Yakutsk

$87 6.9% 47.9% $28

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $922 in Yakutsk. 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 47% higher in Yakutsk, 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $42.00 in Yakutsk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $288 – making Yakutsk the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇷🇺 Yakutsk

🕒 Local time

19:53 7:53 PM

09:53 9:53 AM

14 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

361,154

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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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Between locations

Medellin Yakutsk 12,120 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
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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 Yakutsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,901 in Yakutsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yakutsk, 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 $47.00 in Medellin and $42.00 in Yakutsk. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $1,267 in Yakutsk. That's a gap of about 28%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Yakutsk, where all-in costs run around $1,267, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Yakutsk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Yakutsk – 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 Yakutsk. 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.