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: $498 in Kathmandu versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $797 in Kathmandu versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,097 in Kathmandu versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Kathmandu costs roughly 70% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kathmandu is 64% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 NPR 297

$8.02 COP 25.0K

-75.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.02 NPR 3,072

$47.87 COP 149.4K

-58.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.97 NPR 1,223

$9.89 COP 30.8K

-19.41%

Cappuccino

$1.53 NPR 235

$3.13 COP 9,767

-51.12%

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

$0.56 NPR 86.3

$1.91 COP 5,954

-70.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 NPR 20.95

$1.51 COP 4,712

-90.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.29 NPR 505

$3.12 COP 9,747

5.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 NPR 550

$5.75 COP 17.9K

-37.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 NPR 117

$1.44 COP 4,509

-47.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 NPR 89.4

$2.49 COP 7,759

-76.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 NPR 139

$1.77 COP 5,535

-49.15%

Eggs

$1.67 NPR 257

$2.96 COP 9,235

-43.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.44 NPR 1,141

$10.07 COP 31.4K

-26.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 NPR 514

$10.12 COP 31.6K

-66.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.02 NPR 923

$14.30 COP 44.6K

-57.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 NPR 321

$4.14 COP 12.9K

-49.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 NPR 175

$1.61 COP 5,019

-29.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 NPR 208

$2.25 COP 7,007

-39.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 NPR 86.1

$2.25 COP 7,028

-75.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.42 NPR 64.2

$2.04 COP 6,375

-79.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 NPR 76.4

$1.54 COP 4,790

-67.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 NPR 68.9

$1.17 COP 3,651

-61.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.23 NPR 35.29

$1.31 COP 4,077

-82.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.65 NPR 407

$3.90 COP 12.2K

-32.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 NPR 1,221

$14.01 COP 43.7K

-43.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 NPR 352

$1.74 COP 5,439

32.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 NPR 463

$2.87 COP 8,956

5.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 NPR 31.02

$1.22 COP 3,792

-83.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.67 NPR 1,483

$80.5 COP 251.1K

-87.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 NPR 296

$1.31 COP 4,084

47.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 NPR 204

$2.19 COP 6,825

-39.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 NPR 496

$8.71 COP 27.2K

-62.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 NPR 210

$1.37 COP 4,260

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

$29.1K NPR 4.5M

$27.8K COP 86.9M

4.64%

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

$36.8K NPR 5.6M

$35.8K COP 111.6M

2.91%

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

$31.27 NPR 4,798

$177 COP 553.2K

-82.36%

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

$3.45 NPR 530

$13.88 COP 43.3K

-75.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.05 NPR 1,235

$29.72 COP 92.8K

-72.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.88 NPR 3,357

$44.88 COP 140.1K

-51.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.99 NPR 1,073

$17.12 COP 53.4K

-59.17%

Cinema Ticket

$2.93 NPR 450

$6.65 COP 20.7K

-55.94%

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

$66.8 NPR 10.2K

$813 COP 2.5M

-91.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,792 NPR 735.3K

$9,187 COP 28.7M

-47.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.66 NPR 4,091

$89.5 COP 279.3K

-70.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.20 NPR 4,327

$59.0 COP 184.0K

-52.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.9 NPR 9,961

$138 COP 431.2K

-53.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.52 NPR 4,530

$102 COP 318.7K

-71.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$223 NPR 34.2K

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-79.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$101 NPR 15.5K

$663 COP 2.1M

-84.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 NPR 66.7K

$1,888 COP 5.9M

-76.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$205 NPR 31.4K

$1,027 COP 3.2M

-80.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,281 NPR 350.0K

$4,183 COP 13.1M

-45.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,342 NPR 205.9K

$1,675 COP 5.2M

-19.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$271 NPR 41.6K

$678 COP 2.1M

-60.01%

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 Kathmandu: September 15, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $223 in Kathmandu and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 150% 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 Kathmandu vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $147 vs $305 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 238% 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, salaries run 150% 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: $223 in Kathmandu versus $1,062 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 $20.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $498 per month in Kathmandu versus $1,681 in Medellin – a 238% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $498 in Kathmandu versus $1,681 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 $498 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 238% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.