Cost of Living Comparison Between Benares and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Benares and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $970 per month in Benares vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,570 per month in Benares vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,171 per month in Benares vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Benares is about 4% cheaper than Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Benares and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Benares 28% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.69 MUR 316

$5.99 COP 21.4K

11.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.19 MUR 2,041

$32.86 COP 117.4K

31.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.40 MUR 303

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-9.73%

Cappuccino

$2.64 MUR 125

$1.71 COP 6,115

54.39%

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

$1.01 MUR 47.64

$1.10 COP 3,924

-8.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 MUR 26.90

$0.78 COP 2,781

-26.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 MUR 97.5

$1.68 COP 5,997

22.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MUR 130

$3.07 COP 11.0K

-10.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 MUR 71.9

$1.09 COP 3,906

39.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 MUR 30.75

$1.26 COP 4,508

-48.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 MUR 62.9

$1.38 COP 4,922

-3.62%

Eggs

$2.36 MUR 111

$2.19 COP 7,827

7.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.68 MUR 457

$4.40 COP 15.7K

120.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 MUR 294

$5.63 COP 20.1K

10.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.48 MUR 495

$8.89 COP 31.8K

17.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 MUR 98.0

$2.34 COP 8,349

-11.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 MUR 94.0

$1.06 COP 3,777

87.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 MUR 68.5

$1.50 COP 5,374

-3.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 MUR 124

$1.38 COP 4,924

89.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 MUR 48.42

$1.15 COP 4,111

-11.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 MUR 44.88

$1.16 COP 4,155

-18.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 MUR 37.74

$0.89 COP 3,182

-10.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MUR 27.09

$0.84 COP 2,997

-32.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.20 MUR 293

$2.28 COP 8,145

171.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 MUR 392

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-22.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MUR 84.7

$1.20 COP 4,284

49.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 MUR 99.3

$2.47 COP 8,824

-14.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 MUR 49.23

$0.86 COP 3,056

20.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 MUR 205

$1.47 COP 5,264

194.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.69 MUR 127

$1.96 COP 7,009

37.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.33 MUR 724

$7.74 COP 27.6K

98.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 MUR 65.8

$0.95 COP 3,409

46.32%

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

$35.5K MUR 1.7M

$18.1K COP 64.7M

95.93%

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

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

$26.5K COP 94.6M

9.28%

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

$50.3 MUR 2,376

$82.3 COP 293.7K

-38.86%

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

$18.59 MUR 878

$9.50 COP 33.9K

95.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.34 MUR 1,528

$24.23 COP 86.5K

33.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.89 MUR 1,790

$25.89 COP 92.4K

46.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

Cinema Ticket

$6.08 MUR 287

$3.93 COP 14.0K

54.71%

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

$151 MUR 7,149

$309 COP 1.1M

-51.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,885 MUR 183.6K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-34.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 MUR 2,413

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-12.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.42 MUR 2,052

$32.35 COP 115.5K

34.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 MUR 3,946

$103 COP 366.4K

-18.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.8 MUR 3,675

$108 COP 387.2K

-28.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$504 MUR 23.8K

$476 COP 1.7M

5.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 MUR 16.7K

$379 COP 1.4M

-6.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$931 MUR 44.0K

$838 COP 3.0M

11.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 MUR 33.9K

$724 COP 2.6M

-0.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

13.43

-53.46%

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

Last update for Benares: June 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $504 in Benares versus $476 in Medellin. 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 $43.00 in Benares versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $214 vs $188 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Benares vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $970 in Benares, $1,013 in Medellin – roughly 4% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,454 per month in Benares and $1,519 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Benares, 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 $43.00 in Benares and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Benares, where all-in costs run around $970, than in Medellin at $1,013. In Benares it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Benares has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $970 in Benares to $1,013 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Benares. 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.