Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ahmedabad Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ahmedabad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $504 in Ahmedabad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $799 in Ahmedabad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,095 in Ahmedabad.

Living in Medellin is roughly 226% more expensive than in Ahmedabad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Ahmedabad is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$4.06 ₹387

98.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$15.73 ₹1,503

206.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$4.30 ₹411

119.07%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.18 ₹208

34.86%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.49 ₹46.61

279.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.17 ₹16.67

758.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$3.23 ₹309

-0.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$5.89 ₹562

-3.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$0.70 ₹67.0

105.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.65 ₹61.7

269.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$0.77 ₹73.1

120.78%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.11 ₹106

160.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$5.87 ₹561

71.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$4.22 ₹403

136.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.28 ₹218

74.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$0.64 ₹61.5

146.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.16 ₹111

85.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$0.49 ₹46.61

369.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.36 ₹34.86

455.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.42 ₹40.48

259.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.58 ₹55.1

106.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.32 ₹30.96

300.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$5.06 ₹483

-24.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$8.33 ₹796

68.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.98 ₹189

-13.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$3.39 ₹324

-19.17%

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

$6.29 ₹601

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.27 ₹25.62

362.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$8.07 ₹771

865.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.03 ₹98.3

27.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.25 ₹23.78

768.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$2.12 ₹203

291.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.11 ₹106

22.52%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$12.6K ₹1.2M

117.70%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$24.2K ₹2.3M

51.10%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$50.1 ₹4,782

237.04%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$4.16 ₹398

226.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$11.44 ₹1,093

147.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$14.60 ₹1,395

213.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$8.00 ₹765

115.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$4.09 ₹391

62.59%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$51.3 ₹4,905

1464.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$1,436 ₹137.2K

540.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$26.25 ₹2,508

232.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$30.58 ₹2,922

94.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$49.75 ₹4,753

179.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$28.03 ₹2,678

264.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$199 ₹19.0K

437.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$122 ₹11.7K

433.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$468 ₹44.7K

311.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$274 ₹26.1K

282.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$866 ₹82.8K

375.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$551 ₹52.7K

207.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$542 ₹51.8K

20.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.86

23.48%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ahmedabad: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $199 in Ahmedabad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 21% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $16.00 in Ahmedabad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $124 per month, with Ahmedabad 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

Medellin vs Ahmedabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Ahmedabad differ by about 226% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $504 including rent). Ahmedabad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,071 in Medellin versus $199 in Ahmedabad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $51.3 in Ahmedabad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 143% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $504 in Ahmedabad versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ahmedabad but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ahmedabad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Ahmedabad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 226% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.