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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $516 in Ahmedabad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $810 in Ahmedabad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,104 in Ahmedabad.

Living in Medellin is roughly 96% more expensive than Ahmedabad, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Ahmedabad 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.3K

$3.44 ₹329

74.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 116.9K

$16.51 ₹1,581

99.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.2K

$4.74 ₹454

49.58%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,093

$2.15 ₹206

-20.47%

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

$1.10 COP 3,910

$0.45 ₹42.96

144.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,771

$0.15 ₹14.07

420.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,976

$3.52 ₹337

-52.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$5.77 ₹553

-46.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,892

$0.72 ₹69.0

51.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,492

$0.63 ₹59.9

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,905

$0.87 ₹83.0

58.62%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,799

$1.13 ₹108

93.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$6.59 ₹632

-33.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.0K

$3.78 ₹362

48.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.6K

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,319

$2.00 ₹191

17.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,764

$0.75 ₹72.2

41.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,355

$1.38 ₹133

8.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,906

$0.61 ₹58.2

126.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,097

$0.43 ₹41.14

167.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,141

$0.46 ₹44.08

152.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,170

$0.74 ₹71.1

20.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,986

$0.32 ₹30.28

162.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,116

$4.28 ₹410

-46.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$7.59 ₹727

40.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,268

$2.62 ₹251

-54.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,793

$4.88 ₹467

-49.39%

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

$6.29 ₹603

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,045

$0.30 ₹29.06

186.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.3K

$8.40 ₹805

392.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,245

$1.15 ₹110

27.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,984

$0.30 ₹28.96

553.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.5K

$2.36 ₹226

227.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,397

$1.20 ₹115

-20.83%

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

$18.1K COP 64.5M

$13.8K ₹1.3M

31.64%

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

$26.5K COP 94.2M

$25.6K ₹2.5M

3.40%

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

$82.3 COP 292.7K

$57.4 ₹5,502

43.19%

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

$9.50 COP 33.8K

$4.38 ₹419

116.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.2K

$7.58 ₹726

219.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.1K

$16.98 ₹1,626

52.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.6K

$9.30 ₹890

104.30%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$3.40 ₹326

15.59%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$53.9 ₹5,161

474.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.2M

$1,704 ₹163.2K

249.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 208.7K

$24.69 ₹2,364

137.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.1K

$25.59 ₹2,451

26.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.1K

$53.0 ₹5,080

93.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 385.8K

$38.85 ₹3,721

179.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$160 ₹15.3K

197.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$129 ₹12.4K

193.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$374 ₹35.9K

123.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$241 ₹23.1K

200.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$847 ₹81.1K

229.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$580 ₹55.5K

108.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$506 ₹48.4K

1.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

8.98

49.55%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ahmedabad: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $160 in Ahmedabad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 1% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $17.00 in Ahmedabad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $130 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 96% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $516 including rent). Ahmedabad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 1% more on average, 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: $476 in Medellin versus $160 in Ahmedabad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $53.9 in Ahmedabad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $516 in Ahmedabad versus $1,013 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 96% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.