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: $1,014 in Medellin versus $527 in Ahmedabad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,596 in Medellin versus $803 in Ahmedabad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,178 in Medellin versus $1,079 in Ahmedabad.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Ahmedabad 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 COP 22.2K

$3.55 ₹330

72.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.05 COP 119.3K

$16.54 ₹1,535

99.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 COP 26.4K

$4.58 ₹425

59.83%

Cappuccino

$1.66 COP 5,987

$2.12 ₹197

-21.70%

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

$1.10 COP 3,987

$0.48 ₹44.47

129.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,822

$0.15 ₹14.01

420.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 COP 6,188

$3.40 ₹315

-49.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 11.5K

$5.69 ₹528

-44.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 4,012

$0.76 ₹70.2

46.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,719

$0.62 ₹57.4

111.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,980

$0.82 ₹76.2

68.29%

Eggs

$2.22 COP 8,009

$1.09 ₹101

103.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 COP 15.7K

$6.35 ₹590

-31.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.9K

$3.83 ₹355

51.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 COP 32.4K

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 COP 8,164

$2.11 ₹196

7.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,023

$0.75 ₹69.8

48.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 COP 5,284

$1.34 ₹125

8.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,929

$0.62 ₹57.4

120.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,009

$0.46 ₹42.41

141.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,199

$0.46 ₹42.54

152.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,211

$0.74 ₹68.3

20.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 COP 3,124

$0.32 ₹29.25

171.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,495

$4.17 ₹387

-43.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.86 COP 39.2K

$7.76 ₹720

39.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,330

$2.61 ₹242

-54.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,946

$4.82 ₹447

-48.55%

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

$6.36 ₹590

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,842

$0.30 ₹28.02

163.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.77 COP 147.2K

$8.40 ₹779

385.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 5,137

$1.19 ₹111

19.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,900

$0.30 ₹27.92

536.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.65 COP 27.6K

$2.36 ₹219

224.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 COP 3,490

$1.19 ₹110

-18.49%

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

$18.1K COP 65.3M

$13.9K ₹1.3M

30.31%

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

$26.3K COP 95.0M

$24.9K ₹2.3M

5.70%

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

$81.3 COP 293.5K

$58.8 ₹5,459

38.21%

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

$9.63 COP 34.8K

$4.48 ₹416

114.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.36 COP 88.0K

$7.49 ₹695

225.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.02 COP 93.9K

$16.95 ₹1,573

53.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 COP 68.3K

$9.35 ₹868

102.35%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 COP 14.0K

$3.40 ₹315

14.41%

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

$304 COP 1.1M

$54.8 ₹5,084

455.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,902 COP 21.3M

$1,696 ₹157.4K

247.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 211.8K

$24.73 ₹2,295

137.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.48 COP 117.2K

$25.12 ₹2,331

29.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 367.3K

$54.0 ₹5,008

88.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 390.4K

$38.87 ₹3,607

178.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 COP 1.7M

$162 ₹15.0K

193.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$126 ₹11.7K

194.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 COP 3.1M

$377 ₹35.0K

124.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$239 ₹22.2K

199.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 COP 10.4M

$848 ₹78.7K

238.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 COP 5.0M

$588 ₹54.6K

133.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 COP 2.0M

$472 ₹43.8K

14.75%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Ahmedabad: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $474 in Medellin and $162 in Ahmedabad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 15% 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 in Medellin vs $17 in Ahmedabad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 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 ($1,014 vs $527 including rent). Ahmedabad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 15% 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: $474 in Medellin versus $162 in Ahmedabad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Medellin versus $54.8 in Ahmedabad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $527 in Ahmedabad versus $1,014 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.