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: $361 in Butwal versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $631 in Butwal versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $902 in Butwal versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Butwal costs roughly 64% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Butwal 73% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.80 NPR 273

$5.99 COP 21.4K

-69.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.05 NPR 2,899

$32.86 COP 117.4K

-42.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.48 NPR 986

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-8.60%

Cappuccino

$1.42 NPR 216

$1.71 COP 6,115

-16.96%

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

$0.53 NPR 81.3

$1.10 COP 3,924

-51.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 NPR 17.56

$0.78 COP 2,781

-84.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 NPR 385

$1.68 COP 5,997

50.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 NPR 298

$3.07 COP 11.0K

-36.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.66 NPR 100.0

$1.09 COP 3,906

-39.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 NPR 74.8

$1.26 COP 4,508

-61.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 NPR 120

$1.38 COP 4,922

-42.75%

Eggs

$1.48 NPR 226

$2.19 COP 7,827

-32.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.99 NPR 1,368

$4.40 COP 15.7K

104.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.20 NPR 487

$5.63 COP 20.1K

-43.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.16 NPR 937

$8.89 COP 31.8K

-30.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 NPR 345

$2.34 COP 8,349

-2.99%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 NPR 134

$1.06 COP 3,777

-16.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 NPR 190

$1.50 COP 5,374

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 NPR 105

$1.38 COP 4,924

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 NPR 79.1

$1.15 COP 4,111

-54.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 NPR 112

$1.16 COP 4,155

-37.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 NPR 75.1

$0.89 COP 3,182

-44.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 NPR 41.37

$0.84 COP 2,997

-67.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 NPR 435

$2.28 COP 8,145

25.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.63 NPR 1,010

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-37.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 NPR 353

$1.20 COP 4,284

93.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 NPR 337

$2.47 COP 8,824

-10.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 NPR 29.36

$0.86 COP 3,056

-77.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 NPR 1,354

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-78.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 NPR 280

$1.47 COP 5,264

25.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 NPR 107

$1.96 COP 7,009

-64.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 NPR 448

$7.74 COP 27.6K

-62.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 NPR 188

$0.95 COP 3,409

29.47%

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

$32.3K NPR 4.9M

$18.1K COP 64.7M

78.32%

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

$27.8K NPR 4.2M

$26.5K COP 94.6M

4.79%

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

$14.41 NPR 2,194

$82.3 COP 293.7K

-82.48%

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

$4.99 NPR 759

$9.50 COP 33.9K

-47.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.43 NPR 1,436

$24.23 COP 86.5K

-61.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.51 NPR 2,209

$25.89 COP 92.4K

-43.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.82 NPR 1,647

$19.00 COP 67.9K

-43.05%

Cinema Ticket

$3.15 NPR 480

$3.93 COP 14.0K

-19.85%

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

$24.23 NPR 3,688

$309 COP 1.1M

-92.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$857 NPR 130.5K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-85.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.18 NPR 3,833

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-57.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.89 NPR 4,092

$32.35 COP 115.5K

-16.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.37 NPR 5,536

$103 COP 366.4K

-64.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$23.88 NPR 3,635

$108 COP 387.2K

-77.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$51.6 NPR 7,860

$476 COP 1.7M

-89.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$31.36 NPR 4,774

$379 COP 1.4M

-91.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$144 NPR 21.9K

$838 COP 3.0M

-82.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$114 NPR 17.4K

$724 COP 2.6M

-84.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K NPR 2.0M

$2,791 COP 10.0M

378.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$121 NPR 18.4K

$512 COP 1.8M

-76.33%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $51.6 in Butwal and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 323% 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 $145 vs $188 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 181% 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, Medellin earns 323% less. 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: $51.6 in Butwal versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% 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 $361 in Butwal versus $1,013 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 $361 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 181% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.