Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Aizawl

For one person, living is cheaper in Aizawl: $363 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in Aizawl
Learn more

Aizawl Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Aizawl

🇮🇳 India

$363

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Aizawl

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Aizawl actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $363 in Aizawl, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Aizawl $363

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $583 in Aizawl, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Aizawl $583

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $802 in Aizawl, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Aizawl $802

Medellin costs about 351% more than Aizawl, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Aizawl is 73% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$2.07 ₹197

290.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$10.55 ₹1,002

345.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$3.58 ₹340

165.36%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$1.67 ₹158

80.24%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.32 ₹30.72

462.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.15 ₹13.94

840.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$2.38 ₹226

33.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$2.84 ₹269

102.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$0.76 ₹71.8

98.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.55 ₹51.8

332.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$0.63 ₹60.0

180.95%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$0.91 ₹86.7

217.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$5.02 ₹477

102.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$3.93 ₹373

151.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.90 ₹181

108.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$0.64 ₹60.6

142.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$0.95 ₹89.8

129.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$0.45 ₹43.09

384.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$0.33 ₹31.39

493.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$0.40 ₹38.05

297.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.40 ₹38.44

187.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.19 ₹18.06

552.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$5.03 ₹477

-21.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$6.79 ₹644

101.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.66 ₹158

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$2.96 ₹281

-23.65%

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

$4.96 ₹471

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.24 ₹22.68

387.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$6.10 ₹579

1168.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$0.81 ₹76.5

56.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.27 ₹25.55

659.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$1.39 ₹132

515.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.11 ₹105

21.62%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$9,805 ₹930.9K

247.46%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$22.1K ₹2.1M

56.77%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$36.75 ₹3,489

361.63%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$3.57 ₹339

279.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$6.53 ₹620

329.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$14.21 ₹1,350

207.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$6.62 ₹629

159.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$2.97 ₹282

132.66%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$45.67 ₹4,335

1644.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$1,529 ₹145.1K

496.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$21.88 ₹2,078

287.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$23.92 ₹2,271

142.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$38.25 ₹3,632

252.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$28.08 ₹2,666

248.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$103 ₹9,813

1068.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$62.9 ₹5,975

919.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$255 ₹24.2K

694.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$160 ₹15.2K

533.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,015 ₹96.3K

310.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$500 ₹47.5K

282.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$263 ₹25.0K

149.74%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Aizawl: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Aizawl

$63 17.3% 90.2% $579

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Aizawl

$107 29.4% 64% $190

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Aizawl

$47 12.9% 77.8% $164

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Aizawl

$67 18.4% 60.6% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Aizawl

$50 13.9% 70.1% $119

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Aizawl

$9.2 2.5% 90.2% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Aizawl

$20 5.6% 65% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $103 in Aizawl. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 2.5 times higher, 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 $47 in Medellin versus $11 in Aizawl. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $107 – making Aizawl the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇳 Aizawl

🕒 Local time

02:07 2:07 AM

12:37 12:37 PM

10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

291,822

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.94 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Aizawl 16,450 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Aizawl

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

Medellin vs Aizawl: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 351%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $545 in Aizawl. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aizawl, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $103 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $11 in Aizawl. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $363 in Aizawl. That makes Aizawl about 78% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Aizawl, where all-in costs run around $363, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Aizawl it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Aizawl – 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 Aizawl. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.