Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Amritsar Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Amritsar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $386 in Amritsar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $596 in Amritsar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $807 in Amritsar.

Living in Medellin is roughly 326% more expensive than in Amritsar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Amritsar is 72% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$2.09 ₹200

284.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$8.21 ₹784

488.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$3.34 ₹319

182.04%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$1.98 ₹189

48.48%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.43 ₹41.54

332.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.22 ₹21.04

563.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.54 ₹148

108.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.10 ₹297

84.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$0.72 ₹69.2

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.57 ₹54.0

321.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$0.89 ₹85.1

91.01%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$0.89 ₹85.3

224.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$4.24 ₹405

137.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$2.95 ₹282

237.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.79 ₹171

122.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$0.77 ₹73.9

105.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$0.58 ₹55.4

270.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$0.44 ₹42.38

422.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.33 ₹31.65

506.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.34 ₹32.94

344.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.33 ₹31.72

263.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.30 ₹28.30

326.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$5.11 ₹489

-24.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$11.53 ₹1,102

21.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.72 ₹165

-0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.71 ₹259

1.11%

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

$5.62 ₹537

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.38 ₹36.44

228.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$20.83 ₹1,990

273.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.08 ₹103

21.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.22 ₹21.05

886.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$1.60 ₹153

418.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.13 ₹108

20.35%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$12.7K ₹1.2M

116.73%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$25.1K ₹2.4M

45.81%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$46.89 ₹4,480

259.82%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$3.05 ₹291

344.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$6.85 ₹655

313.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$29.51 ₹2,820

54.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$5.24 ₹500

228.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$3.18 ₹304

109.12%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$38.60 ₹3,688

1981.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$600 ₹57.3K

1432.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$27.87 ₹2,663

213.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$25.16 ₹2,404

135.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$55.5 ₹5,304

150.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$44.73 ₹4,274

128.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$62.3 ₹5,952

1618.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$31.42 ₹3,002

1978.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$116 ₹11.1K

1556.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$78.6 ₹7,510

1233.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$821 ₹78.5K

401.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$626 ₹59.8K

171.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$691 ₹66.1K

-5.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

36.75%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Amritsar: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $62.3 in Amritsar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Amritsar pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $8.00 in Amritsar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $109 per month, with Amritsar 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 Amritsar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Amritsar wins on cost – living expenses run 326% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Amritsar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Amritsar. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,071 in Medellin versus $62.3 in Amritsar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Amritsar – a meal for two runs $8.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $386 in Amritsar – a 326% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $386 in Amritsar versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Amritsar but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Amritsar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Amritsar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $386 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Amritsar hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Amritsar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 326% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.