Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zelenograd

For one person, living is cheaper in Zelenograd: $963 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Zelenograd
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Zelenograd Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Zelenograd

🇷🇺 Russia

$963

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Zelenograd

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $963 in Zelenograd, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Zelenograd $963

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,516 in Zelenograd, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Zelenograd $1,516

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $2,069 in Zelenograd, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Zelenograd $2,069

Medellin costs about 69% more than Zelenograd, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Zelenograd is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$5.95 ₽497

39.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$30.45 ₽2,541

54.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$7.69 ₽642

20.16%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$2.90 ₽242

5.17%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.99 ₽82.8

81.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.56 ₽46.70

146.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$0.98 ₽81.8

230.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$1.42 ₽119

291.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$0.92 ₽77.1

63.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$0.89 ₽74.4

166.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.19 ₽99.2

42.86%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$1.65 ₽137

79.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$8.92 ₽744

14.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$5.13 ₽428

89.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$12.31 ₽1,027

12.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$1.68 ₽140

145.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.49 ₽125

2.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$1.52 ₽127

46.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$2.62 ₽219

-13.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$0.69 ₽57.4

188.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$0.41 ₽33.90

307.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.47 ₽123

-19.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.44 ₽36.72

181.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$2.22 ₽185

74.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$7.33 ₽611

87.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$0.72 ₽60.2

130.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$1.54 ₽128

55.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.59 ₽49.20

110.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$2.40 ₽200

-46.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.23 ₽19.18

834.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$3.62 ₽302

131.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$0.79 ₽66.3

70.89%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$53.0K ₽4.4M

-34.36%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$41.5K ₽3.5M

-16.41%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$105 ₽8,755

58.87%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$3.71 ₽309

267.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$4.71 ₽393

518.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$36.12 ₽3,014

24.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$26.53 ₽2,214

-35.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$6.03 ₽503

15.59%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$185 ₽15.4K

327.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$3,692 ₽308.2K

144.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$43.36 ₽3,619

102.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$24.38 ₽2,035

138.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$146 ₽12.2K

-4.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$122 ₽10.2K

-18.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$508 ₽42.4K

102.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$335 ₽27.9K

85.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$839 ₽70.1K

124.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$645 ₽53.8K

56.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$2,278 ₽190.1K

75.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,483 ₽123.7K

14.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$957 ₽79.9K

-30.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-39.22%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Zelenograd: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Zelenograd

$335 34.8% 46% $285

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Zelenograd

$191 19.8% 36% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Zelenograd

$113 11.8% 45.9% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Zelenograd

$151 15.7% 12.5% $22

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Zelenograd

$119 12.4% 30.1% $51

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Zelenograd

$5.9 * 0.6% 93.8% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Zelenograd

$48 5% 18.4% $11

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 $508 in Zelenograd. 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 44% higher in Zelenograd, 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 $30.00 in Zelenograd. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $191 – making Zelenograd the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇷🇺 Zelenograd

🕒 Local time

16:03 4:03 PM

00:03 12:03 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

223,902

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Zelenograd 10,810 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Zelenograd

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 Zelenograd: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 69%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,445 in Zelenograd. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zelenograd, 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 $30.00 in Zelenograd. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 56% 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 Zelenograd, where all-in costs run around $963, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Zelenograd it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zelenograd – 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 Zelenograd. 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.