Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penza and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Penza: $782 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Penza
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Penza Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Penza

🇷🇺 Russia

$782

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Penza 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 Penza and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $782 per month in Penza vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Penza $782
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $1,236 per month in Penza vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Penza $1,236
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $1,690 per month in Penza vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Penza $1,690
Medellin $3,199

Penza is about 52% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Penza sits 42% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.31 ₽694

$8.30 COP 26.3K

0.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.30 ₽3,030

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-22.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.79 ₽650

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-15.69%

Cappuccino

$3.50 ₽292

$3.05 COP 9,676

14.75%

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

$1.05 ₽87.3

$1.80 COP 5,707

-41.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 ₽57.4

$1.38 COP 4,382

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 ₽189

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-30.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₽233

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-49.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 ₽83.5

$1.50 COP 4,760

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 ₽38.64

$2.37 COP 7,508

-80.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

Eggs

$1.48 ₽124

$2.96 COP 9,379

-50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.45 ₽1,122

$10.22 COP 32.4K

31.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.14 ₽346

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-57.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ₽72.0

$1.24 COP 3,919

-30.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₽217

$3.87 COP 12.3K

-32.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.11 ₽760

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-33.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₽87.3

$1.66 COP 5,256

-36.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 ₽208

$2.40 COP 7,615

3.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₽31.07

$1.24 COP 3,944

-70.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₽209

$1.28 COP 4,044

95.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₽21.02

$2.15 COP 6,803

-88.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.48 ₽1,209

$8.37 COP 26.5K

73.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 ₽69.3

$1.35 COP 4,288

-38.52%

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

$36.8K ₽3.1M

$34.8K COP 110.2M

5.73%

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

$42.6K ₽3.6M

$34.7K COP 110.0M

22.92%

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

$83.6 ₽6,974

$167 COP 528.4K

-49.86%

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

$6.63 ₽554

$13.62 COP 43.2K

-51.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.10 ₽926

$29.12 COP 92.3K

-61.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.7 ₽6,822

$45.09 COP 143.0K

81.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.29 ₽525

$6.97 COP 22.1K

-9.76%

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

$357 ₽29.8K

$790 COP 2.5M

-54.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$163 ₽13.6K

$87.8 COP 278.4K

85.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$73.8 ₽6,163

$58.2 COP 184.4K

26.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$335 ₽28.0K

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-67.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 ₽16.6K

$620 COP 2.0M

-67.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ₽40.1K

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-74.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₽32.8K

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-60.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,254 ₽188.1K

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-43.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,073 ₽89.5K

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-36.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ₽49.6K

$663 COP 2.1M

-10.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

119.38%

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

Last update for Penza: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Penza

$199 25.4%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 212% $421

Eating Out

Penza

$156 19.9%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 9.8% $15

Groceries & Markets

Penza

$120 * 15.4%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 147% $177

Clothing & Footwear

Penza

$106 * 13.6%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 62.3% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penza

$101 13%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 107% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Penza

$94 12.1%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 37.4% $35

Getting Around

Penza

$5.3 * 0.7%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 1713% $90

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $335 in Penza versus $1,028 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 run about 12% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Penza versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $120 vs $298 – making Penza the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Penza

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

13:50 1:50 PM

05:50 5:50 AM

8 h behind Penza

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

509,513

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Penza Medellin 11,390 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Penza
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

Penza vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 108%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,173 per month in Penza and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Penza, 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 $36.00 in Penza and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 147% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Penza, where all-in costs run around $782, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Penza it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Penza – 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 Penza. 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.