Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kolkata (Calcutta) and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Kolkata (Calcutta): $417 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Kolkata (Calcutta)
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Kolkata (Calcutta) Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Kolkata (Calcutta)

🇮🇳 India

$417

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kolkata (Calcutta) and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kolkata (Calcutta) and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $417 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $1,589 in Medellin.

Kolkata (Calcutta) $417
Medellin $1,589

Estimated couple costs with rent: $669 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $2,364 in Medellin.

Kolkata (Calcutta) $669
Medellin $2,364

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $922 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $3,139 in Medellin.

Kolkata (Calcutta) $922
Medellin $3,139

Living in Kolkata (Calcutta) costs roughly 74% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kolkata (Calcutta) is 69% below, Medellin is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ₹198

$8.01 COP 25.5K

-74.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.78 ₹1,430

$46.55 COP 148.3K

-68.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.26 ₹412

$9.43 COP 30.1K

-54.83%

Cappuccino

$1.64 ₹159

$2.91 COP 9,277

-43.64%

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

$0.48 ₹46.58

$1.75 COP 5,585

-72.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 ₹11.89

$1.32 COP 4,218

-90.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 ₹184

$3.13 COP 9,969

-39.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₹303

$5.55 COP 17.7K

-43.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 ₹69.3

$1.41 COP 4,495

-48.94%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 ₹44.25

$2.44 COP 7,777

-81.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.68 ₹65.5

$1.63 COP 5,191

-58.28%

Eggs

$1.03 ₹99.3

$2.82 COP 8,990

-63.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.31 ₹514

$9.69 COP 30.9K

-45.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.04 ₹295

$9.32 COP 29.7K

-67.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ₹230

$4.00 COP 12.8K

-40.50%

Banana (1kg)

$0.79 ₹76.7

$1.48 COP 4,719

-46.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 ₹134

$2.12 COP 6,768

-34.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 ₹59.2

$2.25 COP 7,178

-72.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 ₹29.22

$1.91 COP 6,092

-84.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₹38.88

$1.62 COP 5,160

-75.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ₹33.52

$1.15 COP 3,658

-69.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.26 ₹24.88

$1.26 COP 4,021

-79.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.92 ₹476

$3.82 COP 12.2K

28.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.34 ₹1,001

$13.11 COP 41.8K

-21.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₹168

$1.60 COP 5,083

8.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₹261

$2.26 COP 7,188

19.47%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.34 ₹614

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 ₹13.90

$1.17 COP 3,731

-88.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.19 ₹309

$75.0 COP 239.0K

-95.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₹73.5

$1.27 COP 4,056

-40.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 ₹31.19

$2.05 COP 6,531

-84.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ₹147

$8.20 COP 26.1K

-81.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ₹105

$1.27 COP 4,046

-14.96%

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

$15.8K ₹1.5M

$26.8K COP 85.3M

-40.97%

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

$22.7K ₹2.2M

$34.4K COP 109.6M

-34.04%

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

$52.5 ₹5,076

$162 COP 516.9K

-67.67%

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

$5.10 ₹494

$13.12 COP 41.8K

-61.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.13 ₹690

$28.09 COP 89.5K

-74.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.73 ₹1,523

$44.33 COP 141.2K

-64.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.52 ₹1,018

$16.33 COP 52.0K

-35.58%

Cinema Ticket

$3.33 ₹322

$6.09 COP 19.4K

-45.32%

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

$45.81 ₹4,433

$764 COP 2.4M

-94.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,090 ₹202.2K

$8,904 COP 28.4M

-76.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.12 ₹2,528

$85.0 COP 270.8K

-69.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.89 ₹2,506

$57.5 COP 183.2K

-54.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.62 ₹3,448

$132 COP 419.8K

-72.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$27.81 ₹2,691

$95.8 COP 305.1K

-70.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$151 ₹14.6K

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-85.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$95.4 ₹9,229

$604 COP 1.9M

-84.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$399 ₹38.6K

$1,802 COP 5.7M

-77.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 ₹19.8K

$993 COP 3.2M

-79.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,119 ₹108.3K

$3,921 COP 12.5M

-71.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$590 ₹57.1K

$1,639 COP 5.2M

-63.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$382 ₹36.9K

$626 COP 2.0M

-39.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.04

10.94

-17.37%

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

Last update for Kolkata (Calcutta): October 6, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$116 27.4%

Medellin

$288 18.3% 149% $173

Accommodation & Living

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$95 22.5%

Medellin

$604 38.3% 534% $509

Eating Out

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$67 15.8%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 148% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$65 15.3%

Medellin

$203 12.9% 215% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$52 12.3%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 221% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$22 5.3%

Medellin

$57 3.6% 152% $34

Getting Around

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$6.1 1.5%

Medellin

$91 5.8% 1386% $85

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $151 in Kolkata (Calcutta) and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 64% 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: $15.00 in Kolkata (Calcutta) vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $116 vs $288 per month, with Kolkata (Calcutta) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Kolkata (Calcutta)

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

13:05 1:05 PM

02:35 2:35 AM

10 h 30 min behind Kolkata (Calcutta)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,486,679

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,574 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kolkata (Calcutta) Medellin 16,360 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Kolkata (Calcutta)
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Kolkata (Calcutta) vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kolkata (Calcutta) wins on cost – living expenses run 281% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kolkata (Calcutta) the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 64% 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: $151 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $417 per month in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $1,589 in Medellin – a 281% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kolkata (Calcutta) runs roughly 2252% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $417 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $1,589 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kolkata (Calcutta) but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kolkata (Calcutta) the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kolkata (Calcutta) delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $417 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kolkata (Calcutta) hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Kolkata (Calcutta) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 281% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.