Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bhilai and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Bhilai: $326 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

16

Cost of Living Index in Bhilai
Learn more

Bhilai Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Bhilai

🇮🇳 India

$326

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $326 in Bhilai versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Bhilai $326
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $555 in Bhilai versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Bhilai $555
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $784 in Bhilai versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Bhilai $784
Medellin $3,190

Living in Bhilai costs roughly 80% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bhilai is 76% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.59 ₹246

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-67.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.13 ₹867

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-80.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.09 ₹293

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-67.47%

Cappuccino

$1.97 ₹187

$3.11 COP 9,866

-36.66%

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

$0.29 ₹27.28

$1.83 COP 5,800

-84.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 ₹18.62

$1.38 COP 4,360

-85.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 ₹147

$3.05 COP 9,672

-49.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 ₹271

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-48.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.51 ₹48.54

$1.45 COP 4,600

-64.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.35 ₹33.68

$2.36 COP 7,496

-85.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 ₹60.0

$1.68 COP 5,328

-62.50%

Eggs

$0.95 ₹90.2

$2.86 COP 9,077

-66.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.13 ₹392

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-59.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.88 ₹273

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-69.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ₹219

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-43.24%

Banana (1kg)

$0.57 ₹54.3

$1.50 COP 4,742

-62.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 ₹83.0

$2.17 COP 6,891

-59.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.44 ₹41.59

$2.31 COP 7,310

-80.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 ₹36.44

$1.93 COP 6,113

-80.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 ₹45.82

$1.64 COP 5,196

-70.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.25 ₹23.54

$1.13 COP 3,571

-77.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 ₹27.38

$1.25 COP 3,954

-76.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.10 ₹484

$3.99 COP 12.6K

27.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.58 ₹435

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-65.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₹156

$1.70 COP 5,384

-3.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ₹252

$2.37 COP 7,525

11.81%

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

$3.83 ₹364

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₹36.12

$1.21 COP 3,827

-68.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.62 ₹629

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-91.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ₹101

$1.32 COP 4,179

-19.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₹20.91

$2.14 COP 6,774

-89.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₹176

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-78.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₹104

$1.30 COP 4,114

-15.38%

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

$11.7K ₹1.1M

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-58.06%

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

$18.4K ₹1.7M

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-48.03%

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

$31.51 ₹2,992

$172 COP 545.6K

-81.69%

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

$3.12 ₹297

$13.37 COP 42.4K

-76.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$4.74 ₹450

$28.73 COP 91.1K

-83.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$6.97 ₹662

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-84.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.20 ₹303

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-81.22%

Cinema Ticket

$3.46 ₹329

$6.28 COP 19.9K

-44.90%

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

$80.2 ₹7,617

$770 COP 2.4M

-89.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,061 ₹100.7K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-88.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.55 ₹2,236

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-72.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ₹2,744

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-49.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.92 ₹2,272

$137 COP 432.9K

-82.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$23.95 ₹2,275

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-75.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$72.1 ₹6,842

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-93.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$56.5 ₹5,361

$616 COP 2.0M

-90.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$259 ₹24.6K

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-86.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$206 ₹19.6K

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-79.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$651 ₹61.8K

$652 COP 2.1M

-0.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.82

10.94

-19.38%

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

Last update for Bhilai: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bhilai

$92 28.1%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 221% $203

Eating Out

Bhilai

$69 21.2%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 144% $99

Accommodation & Living

Bhilai

$56 17.3%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 991% $559

Clothing & Footwear

Bhilai

$45 13.9%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 277% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bhilai

$39 12.1%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 444% $175

Sport & Entertainment

Bhilai

$14 4.3%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 316% $44

Getting Around

Bhilai

$10 3.2%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 805% $83

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $72.1 in Bhilai and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 0% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $9.00 in Bhilai vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $92.0 vs $295 per month, with Bhilai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Bhilai

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

11:41 11:41 AM

01:11 1:11 AM

10 h 30 min behind Bhilai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

627,734

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 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 INR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bhilai Medellin 16,060 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Bhilai
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

Bhilai vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bhilai and Medellin differ by about 395% in total monthly costs ($326 vs $1,614 including rent). Bhilai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 0% lower in Medellin. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $72.1 in Bhilai versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $80.2 in Bhilai versus $770 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 221% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $326 in Bhilai versus $1,614 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 395% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.