Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Balasore Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Balasore

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $375 in Balasore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $590 in Balasore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $805 in Balasore.

Living in Medellin is roughly 170% more expensive than Balasore, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Balasore 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$2.05 ₹196

192.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$8.77 ₹839

274.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$4.64 ₹444

52.80%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$1.11 ₹107

54.05%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$0.38 ₹35.91

189.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.13 ₹12.09

500.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$1.59 ₹153

5.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$2.89 ₹276

6.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$0.61 ₹58.6

78.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$0.43 ₹40.78

193.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$0.47 ₹45.38

193.62%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$0.91 ₹87.4

140.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$3.33 ₹319

32.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$2.37 ₹227

137.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$2.11 ₹202

10.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$0.73 ₹69.8

45.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$1.15 ₹110

30.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$0.59 ₹56.5

133.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$0.23 ₹21.84

400.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$0.30 ₹29.15

286.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$0.42 ₹40.40

111.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.22 ₹21.01

281.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$2.58 ₹247

-11.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$8.40 ₹803

26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$1.54 ₹147

-22.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$2.39 ₹229

3.35%

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

$5.35 ₹512

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.51 ₹48.68

68.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$8.62 ₹824

380.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$0.61 ₹58.3

140.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.22 ₹20.96

790.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$2.07 ₹198

273.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.14 ₹109

-16.67%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$15.4K ₹1.5M

17.83%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$23.0K ₹2.2M

14.92%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$27.03 ₹2,586

204.29%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$3.27 ₹313

190.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$7.12 ₹681

240.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$28.49 ₹2,726

-9.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$0.94 ₹90.4

1921.28%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$2.24 ₹214

75.45%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$37.08 ₹3,549

734.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$1,596 ₹152.7K

273.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$28.48 ₹2,725

105.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$30.50 ₹2,918

6.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$49.10 ₹4,698

108.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$30.87 ₹2,954

251.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$131 ₹12.5K

263.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$81.5 ₹7,796

365.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$289 ₹27.7K

190.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$184 ₹17.6K

292.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$567 ₹54.3K

391.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$388 ₹37.1K

212.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$413 ₹39.5K

23.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

7.8

72.18%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Balasore: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $131 in Balasore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 24% 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 $9.00 in Balasore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $95.0 per month, with Balasore 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 Balasore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Balasore wins on cost – living expenses run 170% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Balasore the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Medellin pays 24% 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: $476 in Medellin versus $131 in Balasore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Balasore – a meal for two runs $9.00 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 $375 in Balasore – a 170% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $375 in Balasore versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Balasore but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Balasore the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Balasore delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $375 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Balasore hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Balasore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 170% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.