Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kollam and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Kollam: $284 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

14

Cost of Living Index in Kollam
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Kollam Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Kollam

🇮🇳 India

$284

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kollam 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 Kollam and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $284 per month in Kollam vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Kollam $284
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $446 per month in Kollam vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Kollam $446
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $609 per month in Kollam vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Kollam $609
Medellin $3,186

Kollam is about 83% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kollam sits 79% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.03 ₹97.5

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-87.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$6.14 ₹583

$47.05 COP 151.7K

-86.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.23 ₹307

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-66.00%

Cappuccino

$1.37 ₹130

$3.01 COP 9,722

-54.49%

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

$0.34 ₹31.99

$1.80 COP 5,801

-81.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 ₹11.54

$1.41 COP 4,554

-91.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.33 ₹126

$3.18 COP 10.2K

-58.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₹177

$5.75 COP 18.5K

-67.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.60 ₹57.4

$1.51 COP 4,869

-60.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 ₹45.65

$2.38 COP 7,667

-79.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.51 ₹47.98

$1.77 COP 5,712

-71.19%

Eggs

$0.78 ₹74.1

$2.89 COP 9,320

-73.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.59 ₹341

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-64.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.13 ₹203

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-78.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 ₹149

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-60.45%

Banana (1kg)

$0.59 ₹56.2

$1.55 COP 5,005

-61.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.70 ₹66.1

$2.18 COP 7,039

-67.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.41 ₹38.63

$2.18 COP 7,041

-81.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.35 ₹32.95

$1.96 COP 6,328

-82.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.35 ₹33.54

$1.59 COP 5,125

-77.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ₹57.8

$1.15 COP 3,694

-46.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 ₹25.68

$1.24 COP 4,009

-78.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.17 ₹491

$3.96 COP 12.8K

30.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.70 ₹256

$13.68 COP 44.1K

-80.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₹195

$1.66 COP 5,352

23.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 ₹258

$2.26 COP 7,281

20.35%

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

$3.35 ₹318

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 ₹15.88

$1.17 COP 3,766

-85.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.20 ₹684

$77.4 COP 249.5K

-90.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₹76.8

$1.27 COP 4,089

-36.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ₹31.56

$2.05 COP 6,603

-83.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 ₹195

$8.55 COP 27.6K

-76.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₹106

$1.35 COP 4,343

-17.78%

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

$9,035 ₹857.8K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-73.48%

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

$16.6K ₹1.6M

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-52.11%

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

$32.12 ₹3,050

$170 COP 547.0K

-81.07%

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

$2.97 ₹282

$13.55 COP 43.7K

-78.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.04 ₹479

$28.07 COP 90.5K

-82.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.44 ₹1,276

$43.70 COP 140.9K

-69.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.44 ₹991

$17.19 COP 55.4K

-39.27%

Cinema Ticket

$1.54 ₹146

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-77.71%

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

$21.19 ₹2,012

$797 COP 2.6M

-97.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,630 ₹249.7K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-71.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.30 ₹1,548

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-80.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.34 ₹2,216

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-59.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$25.49 ₹2,420

$135 COP 435.2K

-81.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$24.42 ₹2,319

$97.9 COP 315.6K

-75.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$82.2 ₹7,801

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-93.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$47.79 ₹4,538

$642 COP 2.1M

-92.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$182 ₹17.3K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-91.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 ₹10.9K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-88.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$834 ₹79.2K

$4,170 COP 13.4M

-80.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$449 ₹42.6K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-76.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$525 ₹49.9K

$657 COP 2.1M

-20.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.13

10.94

-16.54%

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

Last update for Kollam: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kollam

$82 28.9%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 262% $215

Accommodation & Living

Kollam

$48 16.8%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 1242% $594

Eating Out

Kollam

$47 16.4%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 264% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Kollam

$40 14.2%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 319% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kollam

$40 14.1%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 426% $171

Sport & Entertainment

Kollam

$17 5.8%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 248% $41

Getting Around

Kollam

$10 3.6%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 805% $83

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $82 in Kollam versus $1,208 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 25% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $6 in Kollam versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $82 vs $297 – making Kollam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Kollam

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

08:07 8:07 AM

21:37 9:37 PM

10 h 30 min behind Kollam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

367,107

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kollam Medellin 16,500 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Kollam
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

Kollam vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 478% more than Kollam, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $426 per month in Kollam and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kollam, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $82 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 261% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $6 in Kollam and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kollam, where all-in costs run around $284, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Kollam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kollam – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Kollam. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.