Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

For one person, living costs are similar in Medellin and in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: $1,639 and $1,599 a month, rent and utilities included.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

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 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,599 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk $1,599

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,713 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk $2,713

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,827 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk $3,827

Medellin and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Medellin and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$18.76 ₽1,501

-56.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$87.9 ₽7,034

-46.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$11.19 ₽895

-15.10%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$3.65 ₽292

-17.53%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$1.91 ₽153

-5.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$0.93 ₽74.1

51.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$5.41 ₽433

-41.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$6.34 ₽507

-9.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$1.92 ₽153

-21.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$2.43 ₽195

-2.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$3.76 ₽301

-23.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$20.18 ₽1,614

-49.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$8.50 ₽680

16.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

$17.02 ₽1,361

-17.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$4.85 ₽388

-18.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$3.24 ₽259

-52.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$2.54 ₽203

-51.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

$0.65 ₽51.6

80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

$33.77 ₽2,701

129.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

$3.62 ₽290

-64.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$0.90 ₽72.4

50.00%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

$53.9K ₽4.3M

-36.79%

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

$41.4K ₽3.3M

-16.29%

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

$170 COP 536.8K

$123 ₽9,866

37.55%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$14.89 ₽1,191

-9.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$10.02 ₽801

180.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

$37.25 ₽2,979

-53.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$7.23 ₽578

-4.43%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

$187 ₽15.0K

-54.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

$125 ₽10.0K

7.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$866 ₽69.3K

39.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$690 ₽55.2K

-7.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$1,828 ₽146.2K

10.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$1,501 ₽120.0K

-32.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,482 ₽118.5K

-55.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

24.33

-55.03%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $866 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $88 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $287 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk – so Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇷🇺 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

🕒 Local time

22:32 10:32 PM

14:32 2:32 PM

16 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

180,467

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR

100 RUB = 1.25 USD

100 RUB = 1.12 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 79.99 RUB (100 RUB = 1.25 USD). 1 EUR = 89.04 RUB (100 RUB = 1.12 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 13,000 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

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 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,398 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $866 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Public transport costs about 56% less in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $88 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,599 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,599 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.