Cost of Living Comparison Between Kathmandu and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Kathmandu and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $501 in Kathmandu versus $1,014 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $782 in Kathmandu versus $1,596 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,063 in Kathmandu versus $2,178 in Medellin.

Living in Kathmandu costs roughly 51% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kathmandu 63% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.78 NPR 266

$6.14 COP 22.1K

-71.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.20 NPR 2,862

$33.05 COP 119.0K

-41.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.65 NPR 991

$7.32 COP 26.4K

-9.15%

Cappuccino

$1.90 NPR 284

$1.66 COP 5,973

14.46%

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

$0.49 NPR 73.8

$1.10 COP 3,978

-55.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 NPR 22.74

$0.78 COP 2,816

-80.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 NPR 380

$1.71 COP 6,174

49.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 NPR 540

$3.17 COP 11.4K

14.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 NPR 132

$1.11 COP 4,003

-19.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 NPR 80.8

$1.31 COP 4,709

-58.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 NPR 139

$1.38 COP 4,969

-31.88%

Eggs

$1.77 NPR 264

$2.22 COP 7,992

-20.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 NPR 1,375

$4.34 COP 15.6K

112.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 NPR 465

$5.80 COP 20.9K

-46.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.05 NPR 902

$8.98 COP 32.3K

-32.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 NPR 326

$2.26 COP 8,146

-3.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 NPR 162

$1.11 COP 4,014

-1.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 NPR 187

$1.46 COP 5,273

-14.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 NPR 96.4

$1.37 COP 4,918

-52.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 NPR 72.8

$1.11 COP 4,000

-55.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 NPR 107

$1.16 COP 4,190

-37.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.50 NPR 74.0

$0.89 COP 3,204

-43.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.25 NPR 36.92

$0.87 COP 3,117

-71.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.85 NPR 425

$2.35 COP 8,476

21.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 NPR 993

$10.86 COP 39.1K

-38.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 NPR 350

$1.20 COP 4,321

95.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NPR 499

$2.48 COP 8,927

35.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 NPR 34.39

$0.79 COP 2,836

-70.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.79 NPR 1,608

$40.77 COP 146.8K

-73.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 NPR 329

$1.42 COP 5,125

55.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 NPR 159

$1.91 COP 6,885

-43.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 NPR 546

$7.65 COP 27.6K

-52.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 NPR 188

$0.97 COP 3,482

29.90%

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

$31.7K NPR 4.7M

$18.1K COP 65.2M

75.21%

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

$41.2K NPR 6.1M

$26.3K COP 94.8M

56.55%

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

$32.83 NPR 4,894

$81.3 COP 292.9K

-59.62%

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

$5.00 NPR 746

$9.63 COP 34.7K

-48.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.86 NPR 1,469

$24.36 COP 87.8K

-59.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.99 NPR 3,277

$26.02 COP 93.7K

-15.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.17 NPR 1,069

$18.92 COP 68.1K

-62.10%

Cinema Ticket

$3.32 NPR 494

$3.89 COP 14.0K

-14.65%

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

$93.0 NPR 13.9K

$304 COP 1.1M

-69.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,703 NPR 552.0K

$5,902 COP 21.3M

-37.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.62 NPR 3,670

$58.7 COP 211.4K

-58.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.47 NPR 4,095

$32.48 COP 117.0K

-15.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.3 NPR 8,688

$102 COP 366.5K

-42.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.32 NPR 6,010

$108 COP 389.6K

-62.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$192 NPR 28.6K

$474 COP 1.7M

-59.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$99.7 NPR 14.9K

$371 COP 1.3M

-73.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$347 NPR 51.8K

$848 COP 3.1M

-59.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 NPR 28.2K

$716 COP 2.6M

-73.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,382 NPR 355.1K

$2,871 COP 10.3M

-17.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,359 NPR 202.6K

$1,375 COP 5.0M

-1.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$241 NPR 36.0K

$542 COP 2.0M

-55.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.08

13.43

-10.05%

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

Last update for Kathmandu: April 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $192 in Kathmandu and $474 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 124% 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 in Kathmandu vs $33 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $152 vs $190 per month, with Kathmandu 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

Kathmandu vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kathmandu wins on cost – living expenses run 103% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kathmandu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Medellin earns 124% 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: $192 in Kathmandu versus $474 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kathmandu – 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.

All in, you'll spend $501 per month in Kathmandu versus $1,014 in Medellin – a 103% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $501 in Kathmandu versus $1,014 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kathmandu but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kathmandu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kathmandu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $501 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kathmandu hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Kathmandu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.