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: $497 in Kathmandu versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $791 in Kathmandu versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,084 in Kathmandu versus $2,188 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 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.79 NPR 274

$5.95 COP 21.4K

-69.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.80 NPR 2,878

$33.33 COP 119.6K

-43.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.68 NPR 1,023

$7.23 COP 26.0K

-7.61%

Cappuccino

$1.92 NPR 294

$1.63 COP 5,848

17.79%

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

$0.50 NPR 76.4

$1.09 COP 3,929

-54.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 NPR 29.23

$0.73 COP 2,621

-73.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 NPR 398

$1.74 COP 6,237

49.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 NPR 569

$3.23 COP 11.6K

15.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 NPR 136

$1.05 COP 3,766

-15.24%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 NPR 84.3

$1.29 COP 4,643

-57.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 NPR 155

$1.32 COP 4,748

-23.48%

Eggs

$1.79 NPR 274

$2.27 COP 8,152

-21.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 NPR 1,406

$4.35 COP 15.6K

111.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 NPR 499

$5.88 COP 21.1K

-44.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.23 NPR 955

$8.61 COP 30.9K

-27.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 NPR 337

$2.25 COP 8,066

-2.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 NPR 167

$1.07 COP 3,839

1.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 NPR 190

$1.52 COP 5,473

-18.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 NPR 98.5

$1.42 COP 5,105

-54.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 NPR 72.8

$1.17 COP 4,199

-58.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 NPR 110

$1.17 COP 4,193

-38.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 NPR 79.8

$0.89 COP 3,183

-41.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 NPR 41.67

$0.90 COP 3,235

-70.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 NPR 448

$2.25 COP 8,059

30.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 NPR 1,210

$11.04 COP 39.6K

-28.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 NPR 351

$1.14 COP 4,089

100.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 NPR 512

$2.38 COP 8,537

40.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 NPR 32.01

$0.84 COP 2,998

-75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.00 NPR 1,685

$41.95 COP 150.6K

-73.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 NPR 343

$1.41 COP 5,051

58.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 NPR 163

$1.90 COP 6,823

-43.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 NPR 542

$7.75 COP 27.8K

-54.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 NPR 195

$1.01 COP 3,608

25.74%

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

$31.4K NPR 4.8M

$17.6K COP 63.1M

78.62%

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

$40.5K NPR 6.2M

$26.5K COP 95.1M

52.94%

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

$33.35 NPR 5,106

$83.7 COP 300.3K

-60.15%

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

$4.74 NPR 726

$9.45 COP 33.9K

-49.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.57 NPR 1,466

$24.11 COP 86.5K

-60.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.34 NPR 3,421

$25.31 COP 90.8K

-11.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.19 NPR 1,101

$19.14 COP 68.7K

-62.43%

Cinema Ticket

$3.21 NPR 492

$4.10 COP 14.7K

-21.71%

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

$92.3 NPR 14.1K

$312 COP 1.1M

-70.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,802 NPR 582.2K

$5,993 COP 21.5M

-36.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.77 NPR 3,792

$58.0 COP 208.3K

-57.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.44 NPR 4,355

$32.56 COP 116.9K

-12.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.4 NPR 8,789

$99.6 COP 357.6K

-42.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.43 NPR 6,037

$109 COP 389.6K

-63.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$195 NPR 29.9K

$482 COP 1.7M

-59.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$99.1 NPR 15.2K

$379 COP 1.4M

-73.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$346 NPR 52.9K

$837 COP 3.0M

-58.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 NPR 28.2K

$723 COP 2.6M

-74.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,286 NPR 350.1K

$2,840 COP 10.2M

-19.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,329 NPR 203.4K

$1,223 COP 4.4M

8.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$278 NPR 42.6K

$541 COP 1.9M

-48.53%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $195 in Kathmandu and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 94% 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 Kathmandu vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $156 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 104% 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 94% 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: $195 in Kathmandu versus $482 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 $497 per month in Kathmandu versus $1,017 in Medellin – a 104% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $497 in Kathmandu versus $1,017 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 $497 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 104% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.