Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zaqatala

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaqatala: $350 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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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

Zaqatala

🇦🇿 Azerbaijan

$350

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Zaqatala

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $350 in Zaqatala, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Zaqatala $350

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $584 in Zaqatala, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Zaqatala $584

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $819 in Zaqatala, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Zaqatala $819

Medellin costs about 368% more than Zaqatala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Zaqatala is 74% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$4.69 ₼7.98

72.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$20.90 ₼35.52

125.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$5.34 ₼9.07

77.90%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$2.28 ₼3.88

32.02%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.61 ₼1.04

195.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.51 ₼0.87

176.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$1.77 ₼3.01

79.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$3.01 ₼5.11

91.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$0.99 ₼1.68

52.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.42 ₼0.72

466.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$2.27 ₼3.86

-22.03%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$1.39 ₼2.36

107.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$3.62 ₼6.16

181.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$2.31 ₼3.93

327.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$8.13 ₼13.82

72.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$0.79 ₼1.35

402.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.20 ₼2.04

29.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$0.61 ₼1.04

257.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$0.74 ₼1.25

194.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$0.28 ₼0.47

600.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$0.40 ₼0.68

297.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.96 ₼1.63

19.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.57 ₼0.97

117.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$1.72 ₼2.92

130.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$8.92 ₼15.15

53.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.20 ₼2.04

38.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$2.09 ₼3.56

8.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.16 ₼0.27

631.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$0.66 ₼1.12

104.55%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

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

$170 COP 547.8K

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$34.17 ₼58.1

27.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

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

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$118 ₼200

925.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$81.8 ₼139

684.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$232 ₼395

773.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$150 ₼255

574.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Zaqatala: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Zaqatala

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Zaqatala

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Zaqatala

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Zaqatala

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Zaqatala

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Zaqatala

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Zaqatala

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $118 in Zaqatala. 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 $47 in Medellin versus $21 in Zaqatala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $133 – making Zaqatala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇦🇿 Zaqatala

🕒 Local time

05:55 5:55 AM

14:55 2:55 PM

9 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

21,800

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Azerbaijani Manat AZN ₼

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 AZN = 0.588 USD

1 AZN = 0.527 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AZN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Azerbaijani Manat exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.7 AZN (1 AZN = 0.588 USD). 1 EUR = 1.9 AZN (1 AZN = 0.527 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Zaqatala 12,110 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
Zaqatala

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 Zaqatala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 368%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $525 in Zaqatala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zaqatala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $118 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 123% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $21 in Zaqatala. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Zaqatala, where all-in costs run around $350, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Zaqatala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $350 in Zaqatala to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.