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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $388 in Amritsar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $588 in Amritsar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $789 in Amritsar.

Living in Medellin is roughly 161% more expensive than Amritsar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Amritsar 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$2.39 ₹229

150.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$10.03 ₹960

227.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$3.54 ₹339

100.28%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$1.72 ₹165

-0.58%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$0.39 ₹37.49

182.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.20 ₹19.13

290.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$1.72 ₹165

-2.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$2.96 ₹283

3.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$0.67 ₹63.7

62.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$0.57 ₹54.8

121.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$0.89 ₹84.9

55.06%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$0.87 ₹83.6

151.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$4.73 ₹452

-6.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$3.01 ₹288

87.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$1.54 ₹147

51.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$0.75 ₹71.5

41.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$0.69 ₹66.3

117.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$0.43 ₹40.98

220.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$0.35 ₹33.28

228.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$0.45 ₹43.09

157.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$0.36 ₹34.61

147.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.32 ₹30.15

162.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$4.16 ₹399

-45.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$9.76 ₹934

9.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$1.68 ₹160

-28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$2.84 ₹272

-13.03%

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

$5.17 ₹495

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.43 ₹40.73

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$23.41 ₹2,240

76.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$0.77 ₹73.7

90.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.24 ₹23.04

716.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$1.31 ₹126

490.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.17 ₹112

-18.80%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$14.0K ₹1.3M

29.46%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$29.4K ₹2.8M

-9.77%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$47.82 ₹4,576

72.00%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$3.48 ₹333

172.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$7.13 ₹682

239.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$25.16 ₹2,408

2.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$4.15 ₹397

357.83%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$2.88 ₹275

36.46%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$35.21 ₹3,370

778.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$605 ₹57.9K

886.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$24.32 ₹2,327

141.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$23.64 ₹2,262

36.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$49.44 ₹4,731

107.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$33.23 ₹3,180

226.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$68.7 ₹6,577

592.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$34.68 ₹3,319

992.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$129 ₹12.3K

550.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$86.6 ₹8,288

735.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$810 ₹77.5K

244.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$624 ₹59.7K

94.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$522 ₹49.9K

-1.95%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Amritsar: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $68.7 in Amritsar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Amritsar pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $10.00 in Amritsar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $106 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 161% 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, Amritsar earns 2% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $68.7 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 $1,013 per month in Medellin versus $388 in Amritsar – a 161% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $388 in Amritsar versus $1,013 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 $388 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 161% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.