Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Yoshkar-Ola Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Yoshkar-Ola

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $894 in Yoshkar-Ola, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,446 in Yoshkar-Ola, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,999 in Yoshkar-Ola, rent included.

Medellin costs about 84% more than Yoshkar-Ola, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Yoshkar-Ola is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$5.73 ₽482

40.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$52.0 ₽4,373

-7.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$4.67 ₽392

101.71%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$1.67 ₽140

76.05%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.73 ₽61.2

154.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.28 ₽23.56

421.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$0.79 ₽66.1

306.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$1.66 ₽139

243.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$0.74 ₽62.1

94.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.76 ₽63.9

215.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.37 ₽115

24.09%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.43 ₽120

102.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$11.10 ₽933

-9.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$4.72 ₽397

111.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$12.93 ₽1,086

9.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.58 ₽133

151.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.61 ₽136

-1.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.78 ₽150

20.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$3.20 ₽269

-28.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.60 ₽50.4

233.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.58 ₽48.82

160.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.21 ₽102

-0.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.65 ₽54.5

96.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.87 ₽241

33.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$8.23 ₽692

70.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.05 ₽88.6

62.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.30 ₽193

19.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.46 ₽38.44

171.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.38 ₽116

-5.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.39 ₽32.80

456.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$6.84 ₽575

21.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$0.77 ₽65.0

76.62%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$40.8K ₽3.4M

-32.59%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$32.4K ₽2.7M

12.92%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$88.6 ₽7,443

90.54%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$5.75 ₽484

136.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$7.38 ₽620

283.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$32.42 ₽2,724

40.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$21.27 ₽1,788

-19.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$6.74 ₽567

-1.34%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$302 ₽25.4K

166.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$6,758 ₽568.0K

36.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$67.9 ₽5,705

28.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$53.1 ₽4,463

11.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$138 ₽11.6K

0.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$78.9 ₽6,635

29.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$446 ₽37.5K

140.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$312 ₽26.2K

109.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$797 ₽67.0K

141.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$532 ₽44.7K

96.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,974 ₽165.9K

108.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,336 ₽112.3K

27.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

20.38

-46.32%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Yoshkar-Ola: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $446 in Yoshkar-Ola. 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $52.0 in Yoshkar-Ola. Groceries tell a different story – $300 in Medellin vs $205 in Yoshkar-Ola – so Yoshkar-Ola wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Yoshkar-Ola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 84%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. 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 $1,340 in Yoshkar-Ola. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yoshkar-Ola, 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 $52.0 in Yoshkar-Ola. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 47% 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 Yoshkar-Ola, where all-in costs run around $894, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Yoshkar-Ola it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Yoshkar-Ola – 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 Yoshkar-Ola. 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.