Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,922 in Moscow, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

92

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
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Moscow Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,922

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moscow and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Moscow and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,922 per month in Moscow vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Moscow $1,922
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $2,941 per month in Moscow vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Moscow $2,941
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $3,960 per month in Moscow vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Moscow $3,960
Medellin $3,186

Moscow costs about 17% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Moscow and Medellin sit above the global median – Moscow by 41%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.50 ₽1,007

$8.09 COP 26.1K

54.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 ₽4,932

$47.05 COP 151.7K

30.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 ₽616

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-19.47%

Cappuccino

$3.84 ₽309

$3.01 COP 9,722

27.57%

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

$1.74 ₽140

$1.80 COP 5,801

-3.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₽68.7

$1.41 COP 4,554

-39.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 ₽389

$3.18 COP 10.2K

51.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 ₽417

$5.75 COP 18.5K

-10.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 ₽107

$1.51 COP 4,869

-12.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 ₽83.9

$2.38 COP 7,667

-56.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 ₽143

$1.77 COP 5,712

Eggs

$2.02 ₽163

$2.89 COP 9,320

-30.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 ₽1,215

$10.19 COP 32.9K

47.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 ₽552

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-30.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.29 ₽1,231

$13.99 COP 45.1K

9.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 ₽172

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-46.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 ₽148

$1.55 COP 5,005

18.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ₽163

$2.18 COP 7,039

-6.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 ₽333

$2.18 COP 7,041

89.91%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 ₽75.9

$1.96 COP 6,328

-52.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 ₽61.9

$1.59 COP 5,125

-51.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ₽136

$1.15 COP 3,694

46.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₽81.2

$1.24 COP 4,009

-18.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 ₽299

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-6.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 ₽985

$13.68 COP 44.1K

-10.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₽101

$1.66 COP 5,352

-24.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 ₽220

$2.26 COP 7,281

20.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 ₽77.3

$1.17 COP 3,766

-17.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.33 ₽3,489

$77.4 COP 249.5K

-44.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 ₽296

$1.27 COP 4,089

189.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 ₽67.5

$2.05 COP 6,603

-59.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.33 ₽993

$8.55 COP 27.6K

44.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 ₽77.3

$1.35 COP 4,343

-28.89%

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

$45.4K ₽3.7M

$34.1K COP 109.8M

33.20%

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

$41.2K ₽3.3M

$34.7K COP 111.8M

18.83%

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

$199 ₽16.0K

$170 COP 547.0K

17.20%

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

$9.04 ₽728

$13.55 COP 43.7K

-33.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.05 ₽809

$28.07 COP 90.5K

-64.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.51 ₽3,584

$43.70 COP 140.9K

1.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.40 ₽3,817

$17.19 COP 55.4K

175.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 ₽776

$6.91 COP 22.3K

39.36%

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

$898 ₽72.3K

$797 COP 2.6M

12.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.3K ₽2.4M

$9,112 COP 29.4M

221.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 ₽9,397

$84.7 COP 273.2K

37.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.4 ₽5,587

$58.0 COP 186.9K

19.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 ₽12.3K

$135 COP 435.2K

13.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 ₽15.1K

$97.9 COP 315.6K

91.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 ₽123.5K

$1,208 COP 3.9M

26.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 ₽69.3K

$642 COP 2.1M

34.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,127 ₽251.8K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

54.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,552 ₽125.0K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

53.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.5K ₽844.3K

$4,170 COP 13.4M

151.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,981 ₽401.2K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

160.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,798 ₽144.8K

$657 COP 2.1M

173.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.58

10.94

78.98%

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

Last update for Moscow: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moscow

$860 44.7%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 25.4% $219

Groceries & Markets

Moscow

$274 14.3%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 8.3% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Moscow

$237 12.3%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 28.7% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moscow

$218 11.3%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 3.1% $6.6

Eating Out

Moscow

$214 11.1%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 20.7% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Moscow

$64 3.3%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 9.8% $6.2

Getting Around

Moscow

$55 2.9%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 70% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,533 in Moscow versus $1,208 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Moscow are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Moscow versus $47 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $274 in Moscow vs $297 in Medellin – so Moscow wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Moscow

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

23:03 11:03 PM

15:03 3:03 PM

8 h behind Moscow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,700,000 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.24 USD

100 RUB = 1.11 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 RUB (100 RUB = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 89.92 RUB (100 RUB = 1.11 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Moscow Medellin 10,840 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Moscow
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Moscow vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Moscow is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,883 per month in Moscow and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,533 in Moscow.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Moscow and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,922 in Moscow and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 15% cheaper.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,922 in Moscow and $1,639 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Moscow makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.