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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $536 in Ahmedabad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $815 in Ahmedabad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,094 in Ahmedabad.

Living in Medellin is roughly 92% more expensive than in Ahmedabad, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Ahmedabad 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$3.40 ₹328

81.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$16.14 ₹1,557

101.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$4.63 ₹446

58.53%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$2.21 ₹213

-22.17%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.48 ₹46.15

118.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.19 ₹18.26

305.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$3.56 ₹343

-52.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$5.92 ₹571

-46.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$0.77 ₹73.8

36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.57 ₹55.0

128.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$0.86 ₹83.3

62.79%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$1.08 ₹104

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$6.50 ₹627

-32.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$3.75 ₹361

56.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$2.03 ₹196

12.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$0.80 ₹77.1

38.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$1.34 ₹129

14.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$0.61 ₹58.4

121.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.43 ₹41.13

162.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.50 ₹48.06

126.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.68 ₹65.9

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.32 ₹30.52

184.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$4.31 ₹416

-45.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$7.82 ₹754

58.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$2.63 ₹254

-54.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$4.83 ₹465

-48.45%

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

$6.26 ₹604

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.28 ₹26.68

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$8.30 ₹801

388.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.14 ₹109

24.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.28 ₹26.80

585.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$2.29 ₹221

234.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.19 ₹114

-16.81%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$13.7K ₹1.3M

31.69%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$25.1K ₹2.4M

5.98%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$57.0 ₹5,495

41.82%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$4.47 ₹431

122.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$7.72 ₹744

213.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$17.03 ₹1,642

47.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$9.19 ₹886

108.38%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$3.58 ₹346

11.17%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$53.2 ₹5,127

473.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$1,684 ₹162.4K

259.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$24.57 ₹2,369

136.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$25.39 ₹2,448

26.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$53.8 ₹5,188

87.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$38.55 ₹3,717

179.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$157 ₹15.2K

202.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$128 ₹12.4K

192.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$377 ₹36.4K

123.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$244 ₹23.5K

199.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$898 ₹86.6K

258.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$575 ₹55.4K

138.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$515 ₹49.6K

19.81%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ahmedabad: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $157 in Ahmedabad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 20% 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 $16.00 in Ahmedabad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 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 92% in total monthly costs ($1,031 vs $536 including rent). Ahmedabad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% 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: $477 in Medellin versus $157 in Ahmedabad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $53.2 in Ahmedabad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $536 in Ahmedabad versus $1,031 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 92% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.