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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $378 in Amritsar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $585 in Amritsar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $792 in Amritsar.

Living in Medellin is roughly 173% more expensive than in Amritsar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Amritsar 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$2.34 ₹226

163.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$10.27 ₹988

217.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$3.55 ₹342

106.76%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$1.71 ₹164

0.58%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.39 ₹37.94

169.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.20 ₹19.22

285.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$1.70 ₹164

-0.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.93 ₹282

8.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$0.63 ₹60.2

66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.54 ₹52.3

140.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$0.87 ₹83.8

60.92%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$0.85 ₹82.0

154.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$4.66 ₹449

-5.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$3.06 ₹294

92.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$1.54 ₹148

48.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$0.76 ₹73.1

46.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$0.64 ₹61.8

139.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$0.46 ₹44.60

193.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.37 ₹35.89

205.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.46 ₹43.99

145.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.34 ₹32.35

150.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.32 ₹30.50

184.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$4.13 ₹398

-43.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$11.26 ₹1,084

9.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.72 ₹166

-30.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$2.75 ₹265

-9.45%

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

$5.06 ₹487

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$0.40 ₹38.45

110.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$23.43 ₹2,256

73.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$0.85 ₹81.6

67.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.22 ₹21.08

772.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$1.30 ₹125

489.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.20 ₹116

-17.50%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$13.7K ₹1.3M

31.62%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$29.4K ₹2.8M

-9.50%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$47.06 ₹4,530

71.72%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$3.40 ₹327

192.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$7.01 ₹675

244.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$24.97 ₹2,404

0.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$4.23 ₹407

352.72%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$2.83 ₹273

40.64%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$35.19 ₹3,387

767.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$608 ₹58.5K

896.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$24.90 ₹2,397

133.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$23.77 ₹2,288

35.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$48.91 ₹4,708

105.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$33.15 ₹3,192

225.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$69.2 ₹6,657

589.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$34.97 ₹3,367

975.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$130 ₹12.6K

547.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$88.1 ₹8,479

729.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$796 ₹76.6K

304.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$637 ₹61.3K

115.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$514 ₹49.5K

20.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

8.3

61.81%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Amritsar: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $69.2 in Amritsar. 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 $10.00 in Amritsar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 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 173% 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.

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 $69.2 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 $10.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,031 per month in Medellin versus $378 in Amritsar – a 173% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $378 in Amritsar versus $1,031 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 $378 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 173% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.