Cost of Living Comparison Between Butwal and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Butwal and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $362 in Butwal versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $626 in Butwal versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $890 in Butwal versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Butwal costs roughly 65% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Butwal 73% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.80 NPR 277

$6.16 COP 20.1K

-70.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.28 NPR 2,962

$32.60 COP 106.1K

-40.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.62 NPR 1,017

$7.34 COP 23.9K

-9.81%

Cappuccino

$1.42 NPR 218

$1.72 COP 5,600

-17.44%

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

$0.53 NPR 81.4

$1.05 COP 3,420

-49.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 NPR 19.49

$0.77 COP 2,515

-83.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 NPR 389

$1.69 COP 5,488

49.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 NPR 303

$3.17 COP 10.3K

-37.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.66 NPR 101

$1.05 COP 3,423

-37.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 NPR 80.2

$1.30 COP 4,236

-60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 NPR 126

$1.40 COP 4,544

-41.43%

Eggs

$1.48 NPR 228

$2.16 COP 7,047

-31.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.04 NPR 1,388

$4.39 COP 14.3K

105.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.09 NPR 474

$5.88 COP 19.1K

-47.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.00 NPR 922

$8.64 COP 28.1K

-30.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 NPR 336

$2.28 COP 7,426

-3.95%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 NPR 136

$1.11 COP 3,604

-19.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 NPR 185

$1.53 COP 4,983

-21.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 NPR 98.2

$1.35 COP 4,410

-52.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 NPR 79.3

$1.13 COP 3,674

-53.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 NPR 113

$1.13 COP 3,692

-35.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 NPR 74.8

$0.85 COP 2,753

-42.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 NPR 41.57

$0.91 COP 2,975

-70.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 NPR 451

$2.34 COP 7,630

25.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.46 NPR 992

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-47.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 NPR 359

$1.20 COP 3,909

94.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 NPR 339

$2.49 COP 8,104

-11.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 NPR 28.21

$0.84 COP 2,728

-78.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.08 NPR 1,395

$40.57 COP 132.1K

-77.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.80 NPR 277

$1.42 COP 4,623

26.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 NPR 109

$1.92 COP 6,235

-63.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 NPR 441

$7.66 COP 24.9K

-62.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 NPR 197

$0.99 COP 3,223

29.29%

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

$31.8K NPR 4.9M

$18.0K COP 58.7M

76.58%

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

$27.3K NPR 4.2M

$26.6K COP 86.7M

2.38%

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

$14.46 NPR 2,221

$80.8 COP 263.1K

-82.11%

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

$4.78 NPR 733

$9.95 COP 32.4K

-51.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.85 NPR 1,512

$24.18 COP 78.7K

-59.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.67 NPR 2,254

$25.08 COP 81.7K

-41.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.74 NPR 1,649

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-43.92%

Cinema Ticket

$3.07 NPR 471

$3.98 COP 13.0K

-22.86%

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

$24.37 NPR 3,744

$305 COP 993.5K

-92.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$885 NPR 135.9K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

-85.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.59 NPR 3,777

$58.1 COP 189.2K

-57.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.81 NPR 4,118

$32.20 COP 104.8K

-16.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.86 NPR 5,508

$101 COP 327.9K

-64.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$23.79 NPR 3,655

$108 COP 350.8K

-77.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$51.0 NPR 7,831

$477 COP 1.6M

-89.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$30.54 NPR 4,691

$376 COP 1.2M

-91.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$146 NPR 22.4K

$845 COP 2.7M

-82.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$113 NPR 17.3K

$730 COP 2.4M

-84.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.1K NPR 2.0M

$3,215 COP 10.5M

308.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$124 NPR 19.0K

$617 COP 2.0M

-79.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-10.65%

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

Last update for Butwal: July 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $51.0 in Butwal and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 398% 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: $19.00 in Butwal vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $143 vs $193 per month, with Butwal 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

Butwal vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butwal wins on cost – living expenses run 185% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Butwal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 398% 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: $51.0 in Butwal versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Butwal – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $362 in Butwal versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Butwal but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Butwal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Butwal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $362 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Butwal hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Butwal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 185% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.