Cost of Living Comparison Between Bhilai and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Bhilai and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $305 in Bhilai versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $503 in Bhilai versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $701 in Bhilai versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Bhilai costs roughly 70% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bhilai 77% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.58 ₹249

$6.16 COP 20.1K

-58.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.18 ₹787

$32.60 COP 106.1K

-74.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.13 ₹301

$7.34 COP 23.9K

-57.36%

Cappuccino

$1.87 ₹180

$1.72 COP 5,600

8.72%

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

$0.28 ₹26.52

$1.05 COP 3,420

-73.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 ₹18.34

$0.77 COP 2,515

-75.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 ₹146

$1.69 COP 5,488

-10.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₹317

$3.17 COP 10.3K

4.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 ₹66.2

$1.05 COP 3,423

-34.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.30 ₹28.43

$1.30 COP 4,236

-76.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.65 ₹62.9

$1.40 COP 4,544

-53.57%

Eggs

$0.92 ₹88.9

$2.16 COP 7,047

-57.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.57 ₹440

$4.39 COP 14.3K

4.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.81 ₹271

$5.88 COP 19.1K

-52.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ₹204

$2.28 COP 7,426

-7.02%

Banana (1kg)

$0.60 ₹57.8

$1.11 COP 3,604

-45.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.65 ₹62.9

$1.53 COP 4,983

-57.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.39 ₹37.88

$1.35 COP 4,410

-71.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.42 ₹40.82

$1.13 COP 3,674

-62.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 ₹44.82

$1.13 COP 3,692

-58.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.22 ₹21.16

$0.85 COP 2,753

-74.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 ₹25.62

$0.91 COP 2,975

-70.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 ₹222

$2.34 COP 7,630

-1.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.57 ₹440

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-63.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ₹98.1

$1.20 COP 3,909

-15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₹228

$2.49 COP 8,104

-4.82%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$4.05 ₹390

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₹23.20

$0.84 COP 2,728

-71.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$2.84 ₹273

$40.57 COP 132.1K

-93.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ₹114

$1.42 COP 4,623

-16.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₹23.17

$1.92 COP 6,235

-87.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.71 ₹164

$7.66 COP 24.9K

-77.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₹117

$0.99 COP 3,223

23.23%

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

$11.7K ₹1.1M

$18.0K COP 58.7M

-35.25%

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

$20.3K ₹2.0M

$26.6K COP 86.7M

-23.92%

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

$23.67 ₹2,278

$80.8 COP 263.1K

-70.71%

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

$3.87 ₹372

$9.95 COP 32.4K

-61.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.32 ₹608

$24.18 COP 78.7K

-73.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$3.47 ₹334

$25.08 COP 81.7K

-86.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.88 ₹662

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-64.07%

Cinema Ticket

$1.72 ₹166

$3.98 COP 13.0K

-56.78%

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

$57.0 ₹5,487

$305 COP 993.5K

-81.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,490 ₹143.4K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

-75.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.61 ₹1,695

$58.1 COP 189.2K

-69.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.70 ₹1,704

$32.20 COP 104.8K

-45.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$17.77 ₹1,711

$101 COP 327.9K

-82.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$27.67 ₹2,664

$108 COP 350.8K

-74.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$124 ₹11.9K

$477 COP 1.6M

-73.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$69.5 ₹6,692

$376 COP 1.2M

-81.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$273 ₹26.3K

$845 COP 2.7M

-67.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 ₹17.6K

$730 COP 2.4M

-75.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$653 ₹62.9K

$617 COP 2.0M

5.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-40.43%

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

Last update for Bhilai: July 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $124 in Bhilai and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bhilai pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $8.00 in Bhilai vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $88.0 vs $193 per month, with Bhilai cheaper across the board.

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

Bhilai vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bhilai and Medellin differ by about 238% in total monthly costs ($305 vs $1,031 including rent). Bhilai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Bhilai, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $124 in Bhilai versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $57.0 in Bhilai versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 119% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $305 in Bhilai versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bhilai but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bhilai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Bhilai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 238% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.