Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shymkent and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $808 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
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Shymkent Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$808

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $808 per month in Shymkent vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Shymkent $808
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $1,390 per month in Shymkent vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Shymkent $1,390
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $1,971 per month in Shymkent vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Shymkent $1,971
Medellin $3,199

Shymkent is about 50% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Shymkent sits 40% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.25 ₸5,086

$8.30 COP 26.3K

35.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.35 ₸15.1K

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-28.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.50 ₸2,938

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-29.65%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₸1,147

$3.05 COP 9,676

-16.72%

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

$1.03 ₸467

$1.80 COP 5,707

-42.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₸246

$1.38 COP 4,382

-60.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 ₸492

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-66.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₸609

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-75.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ₸661

$1.50 COP 4,760

-2.67%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 ₸184

$2.37 COP 7,508

-82.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 ₸811

$1.70 COP 5,377

5.29%

Eggs

$1.73 ₸783

$2.96 COP 9,379

-41.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 ₸4,538

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-1.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.26 ₸2,376

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-46.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 ₸4,059

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-35.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.19 ₸538

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-71.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 ₸957

$1.53 COP 4,839

38.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 ₸1,166

$2.22 COP 7,052

16.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 ₸610

$2.27 COP 7,194

-40.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 ₸250

$1.99 COP 6,311

-72.36%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 ₸184

$1.67 COP 5,285

-75.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 ₸397

$1.18 COP 3,742

-25.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₸376

$1.24 COP 3,919

-33.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₸1,114

$3.87 COP 12.3K

-36.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.55 ₸2,057

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-66.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ₸466

$1.66 COP 5,256

-37.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₸683

$2.40 COP 7,615

-37.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 ₸64.0

$1.24 COP 3,944

-88.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 ₸395

$1.28 COP 4,044

-32.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ₸156

$2.15 COP 6,803

-84.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.02 ₸4,532

$8.37 COP 26.5K

19.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 ₸291

$1.35 COP 4,288

-52.59%

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

$27.2K ₸12.3M

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-21.82%

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

$29.0K ₸13.1M

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-16.25%

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

$47.29 ₸21.4K

$167 COP 528.4K

-71.62%

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

$9.60 ₸4,338

$13.62 COP 43.2K

-29.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.79 ₸6,685

$29.12 COP 92.3K

-49.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.82 ₸17.5K

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-13.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.82 ₸3,986

$17.18 COP 54.5K

-48.66%

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 ₸2,567

$6.97 COP 22.1K

-18.51%

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

$57.8 ₸26.1K

$790 COP 2.5M

-92.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.55 ₸17.0K

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-57.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.85 ₸15.3K

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-41.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$187 ₸84.4K

$139 COP 440.7K

34.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.9 ₸23.9K

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-46.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 ₸153.0K

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-67.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 ₸92.0K

$620 COP 2.0M

-67.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 ₸315.6K

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-62.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 ₸246.2K

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-45.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,104 ₸499.1K

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-72.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$986 ₸445.6K

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-42.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$442 ₸199.6K

$663 COP 2.1M

-33.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.25

10.94

66.82%

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

Last update for Shymkent: October 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shymkent

$203 25.2%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 205% $416

Groceries & Markets

Shymkent

$185 22.9%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 61% $113

Eating Out

Shymkent

$154 19.1%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 10.6% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Shymkent

$140 17.3%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 23.4% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shymkent

$72 8.9%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 192% $138

Sport & Entertainment

Shymkent

$50 6.2%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 17.6% $8.9

Getting Around

Shymkent

$3.2 * 0.4%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 2912% $92

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $338 in Shymkent 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 50% 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 $33.00 in Shymkent versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $298 – making Shymkent the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

18:32 6:32 PM

07:32 7:32 AM

11 h behind Shymkent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,222,055

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 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 KZT in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Shymkent Medellin 13,570 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Shymkent
Medellin

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

Shymkent vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 101%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,212 per month in Shymkent 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 Shymkent, 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 $33.00 in Shymkent 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 61% 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 Shymkent, where all-in costs run around $808, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Shymkent it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shymkent – 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 Shymkent. 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.