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: $337 in Butwal versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $596 in Butwal versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $855 in Butwal versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Butwal costs roughly 80% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Butwal is 75% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.99 NPR 305

$8.02 COP 25.0K

-75.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.70 NPR 3,022

$47.87 COP 149.4K

-58.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 NPR 1,024

$9.89 COP 30.8K

-32.56%

Cappuccino

$1.27 NPR 195

$3.13 COP 9,767

-59.42%

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

$0.55 NPR 83.9

$1.91 COP 5,954

-71.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.11 NPR 17.05

$1.51 COP 4,712

-92.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 NPR 372

$3.12 COP 9,747

-22.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 NPR 273

$5.75 COP 17.9K

-69.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.63 NPR 96.7

$1.44 COP 4,509

-56.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 NPR 68.4

$2.49 COP 7,759

-81.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 NPR 108

$1.77 COP 5,535

-59.89%

Eggs

$1.29 NPR 198

$2.96 COP 9,235

-56.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.16 NPR 1,099

$10.07 COP 31.4K

-28.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 NPR 520

$10.12 COP 31.6K

-66.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.87 NPR 901

$14.30 COP 44.6K

-58.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 NPR 325

$4.14 COP 12.9K

-48.79%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 NPR 119

$1.61 COP 5,019

-51.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 NPR 182

$2.25 COP 7,007

-47.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 NPR 88.6

$2.25 COP 7,028

-74.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 NPR 59.6

$2.04 COP 6,375

-80.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 NPR 76.4

$1.54 COP 4,790

-67.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 NPR 74.9

$1.17 COP 3,651

-58.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.25 NPR 38.45

$1.31 COP 4,077

-80.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.61 NPR 400

$3.90 COP 12.2K

-33.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.43 NPR 987

$14.01 COP 43.7K

-54.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 NPR 350

$1.74 COP 5,439

31.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 NPR 303

$2.87 COP 8,956

-31.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 NPR 24.77

$1.22 COP 3,792

-86.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.05 NPR 1,236

$80.5 COP 251.1K

-90.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 NPR 247

$1.31 COP 4,084

22.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 NPR 178

$2.19 COP 6,825

-47.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 NPR 414

$8.71 COP 27.2K

-69.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 NPR 169

$1.37 COP 4,260

-19.71%

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

$29.0K NPR 4.4M

$27.8K COP 86.9M

4.09%

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

$24.7K NPR 3.8M

$35.8K COP 111.6M

-31.03%

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

$13.06 NPR 2,004

$177 COP 553.2K

-92.63%

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

$3.33 NPR 511

$13.88 COP 43.3K

-76.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.12 NPR 1,246

$29.72 COP 92.8K

-72.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.96 NPR 1,989

$44.88 COP 140.1K

-71.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.93 NPR 1,523

$17.12 COP 53.4K

-42.00%

Cinema Ticket

$2.80 NPR 430

$6.65 COP 20.7K

-57.89%

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

$21.70 NPR 3,329

$813 COP 2.5M

-97.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$791 NPR 121.3K

$9,187 COP 28.7M

-91.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.20 NPR 3,713

$89.5 COP 279.3K

-72.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.04 NPR 3,842

$59.0 COP 184.0K

-57.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$32.77 NPR 5,028

$138 COP 431.2K

-76.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$21.55 NPR 3,307

$102 COP 318.7K

-78.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$46.50 NPR 7,134

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-95.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$27.34 NPR 4,196

$663 COP 2.1M

-95.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$129 NPR 19.7K

$1,888 COP 5.9M

-93.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$100 NPR 15.4K

$1,027 COP 3.2M

-90.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.0K NPR 2.0M

$4,183 COP 13.1M

211.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$124 NPR 19.0K

$678 COP 2.1M

-81.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.72

10.94

-11.15%

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

Last update for Butwal: September 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $46.50 in Butwal and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 447% 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: $20.00 in Butwal vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $133 vs $305 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 398% 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 447% 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: $46.50 in Butwal versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 129% 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 $20.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $337 in Butwal versus $1,681 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 $337 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 398% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.