Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Butwal and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Butwal: $334 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Butwal, Nepal
Medellin, Colombia
Butwal
🇳🇵 Nepal
$334
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $334 in Butwal versus $1,639 in Medellin.

  • Butwal $334
  • Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $584 in Butwal versus $2,413 in Medellin.

  • Butwal $584
  • Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $835 in Butwal versus $3,186 in Medellin.

  • Butwal $835
  • Medellin $3,186

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Butwal is 75% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Butwal
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.94 NPR 295
$8.09 COP 26.1K
-76.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.90 NPR 3,022
$47.05 COP 151.9K
-57.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.41 NPR 973
$9.50 COP 30.7K
-32.53%
Cappuccino
$1.29 NPR 196
$3.01 COP 9,735
-57.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 NPR 85.0
$1.80 COP 5,809
-68.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.12 NPR 17.93
$1.41 COP 4,561
-91.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.39 NPR 363
$3.18 COP 10.3K
-24.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 NPR 273
$5.75 COP 18.6K
-68.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Butwal
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.63 NPR 95.7
$1.51 COP 4,876
-58.28%
White Bread (500g)
$0.44 NPR 66.7
$2.38 COP 7,678
-81.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.70 NPR 106
$1.77 COP 5,720
-60.45%
Eggs
$1.35 NPR 204
$2.89 COP 9,333
-53.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.32 NPR 1,111
$10.19 COP 32.9K
-28.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.07 NPR 467
$9.87 COP 31.9K
-68.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.04 NPR 916
$13.99 COP 45.2K
-56.83%
Apples (1kg)
$2.00 NPR 304
$3.97 COP 12.8K
-49.62%
Banana (1kg)
$0.77 NPR 117
$1.55 COP 5,012
-50.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.17 NPR 178
$2.18 COP 7,048
-46.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.55 NPR 82.9
$2.18 COP 7,051
-74.77%
Potato (1kg)
$0.38 NPR 58.3
$1.96 COP 6,337
-80.61%
Onion (1kg)
$0.50 NPR 76.1
$1.59 COP 5,132
-68.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.45 NPR 68.5
$1.15 COP 3,699
-60.87%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.22 NPR 33.34
$1.24 COP 4,014
-82.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.44 NPR 370
$3.96 COP 12.8K
-38.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.62 NPR 1,004
$13.68 COP 44.2K
-51.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.24 NPR 340
$1.66 COP 5,359
34.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 NPR 297
$2.26 COP 7,291
-13.27%
🚌 Getting Around
Butwal
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.17 NPR 25.57
$1.17 COP 3,771
-85.47%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.01 NPR 1,216
$77.4 COP 249.8K
-89.65%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.67 NPR 254
$1.27 COP 4,094
31.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.13 NPR 172
$2.05 COP 6,612
-44.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.64 NPR 401
$8.55 COP 27.6K
-69.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.15 NPR 175
$1.35 COP 4,349
-14.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.8K NPR 5.6M
$34.1K COP 110.0M
7.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.9K NPR 3.8M
$34.7K COP 111.9M
-28.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Butwal
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$13.30 NPR 2,019
$170 COP 547.8K
-92.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$3.49 NPR 529
$13.55 COP 43.8K
-74.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.22 NPR 1,400
$28.07 COP 90.6K
-67.15%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Butwal
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$12.89 NPR 1,956
$43.70 COP 141.1K
-70.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.98 NPR 1,515
$17.19 COP 55.5K
-41.94%
Cinema Ticket
$2.82 NPR 427
$6.91 COP 22.3K
-59.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Butwal
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$21.88 NPR 3,322
$797 COP 2.6M
-97.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$788 NPR 119.6K
$9,112 COP 29.4M
-91.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Butwal
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$23.69 NPR 3,596
$84.7 COP 273.5K
-72.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.45 NPR 3,711
$58.0 COP 187.2K
-57.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$32.81 NPR 4,981
$135 COP 435.8K
-75.69%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$21.27 NPR 3,229
$97.9 COP 316.0K
-78.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Butwal
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$46.78 NPR 7,101
$1,208 COP 3.9M
-96.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$27.60 NPR 4,189
$642 COP 2.1M
-95.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$132 NPR 20.0K
$2,028 COP 6.5M
-93.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$101 NPR 15.3K
$1,012 COP 3.3M
-90.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$13.0K NPR 2.0M
$4,170 COP 13.5M
211.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,910 COP 6.2M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Butwal
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$123 NPR 18.7K
$657 COP 2.1M
-81.29%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.98
10.94
-8.78%

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

Last update for Butwal: October 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Butwal
$131
Medellin
$297 126% $166
Eating Out
Butwal
$69
Medellin
$170 147% $101
Clothing & Footwear
Butwal
$46
Medellin
$169 267% $123
Accommodation & Living
Butwal
$28
Medellin
$642 2224% $614
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Butwal
$26
Medellin
$211 713% $185
Sport & Entertainment
Butwal
$19
Medellin
$58 211% $39
Getting Around
Butwal
$16
Medellin
$94 484% $78

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $47 in Butwal and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 5.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $20 in Butwal vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $131 vs $297 per month, with Butwal cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇳🇵 Butwal
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
08:52 8:52 AM
22:07 10:07 PM
10 h 45 min behind Butwal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
195,054
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Nepalese Rupee NPR रु
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to NPR – Nepalese Rupee Converter

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 170 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.9 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Butwal Medellin 15,620 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Butwal
  • 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
Butwal vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Butwal or Medellin?
Butwal wins on cost – living expenses run 80% 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.
Are salaries higher in Butwal or in Medellin?
On paper, salaries run 81% lower in Butwal. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Butwal compared to Medellin?
Rent for a central apartment: $47 in Butwal versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Butwal or in Medellin?
Supermarket bills run roughly 126% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Butwal and in Medellin?
Dining out is cheaper in Butwal – a meal for two runs $20 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $800/month in Butwal or in Medellin?
At $334 in Butwal versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $800 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.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Butwal or Medellin?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Butwal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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