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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $390 in Balasore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $611 in Balasore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $832 in Balasore.

Living in Medellin is roughly 164% more expensive than in Balasore, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Balasore 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$2.13 ₹205

189.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$8.52 ₹820

282.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$4.52 ₹435

62.39%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$1.07 ₹103

60.75%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.38 ₹36.57

176.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.14 ₹13.63

450.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$1.59 ₹153

6.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.96 ₹285

7.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$0.61 ₹58.7

72.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.42 ₹40.89

209.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$0.51 ₹48.65

174.51%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$0.97 ₹93.3

122.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$3.31 ₹319

32.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$2.39 ₹230

146.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$2.17 ₹209

5.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$0.71 ₹68.0

56.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$1.19 ₹115

28.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$0.58 ₹56.1

132.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.23 ₹22.11

391.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.33 ₹31.84

242.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.43 ₹41.28

97.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.22 ₹21.13

313.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$2.64 ₹254

-11.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$9.15 ₹881

35.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.49 ₹144

-19.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$2.37 ₹228

5.06%

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

$5.32 ₹513

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$0.54 ₹52.2

55.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$8.94 ₹861

353.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$0.61 ₹58.3

132.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.24 ₹23.23

700.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$2.02 ₹195

279.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.18 ₹113

-16.10%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$15.8K ₹1.5M

13.94%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$22.3K ₹2.1M

19.23%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$26.72 ₹2,573

202.43%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$3.14 ₹302

216.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$7.35 ₹708

228.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$28.79 ₹2,771

-12.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$0.95 ₹91.5

1915.79%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$2.22 ₹214

79.28%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$38.04 ₹3,662

702.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$1,565 ₹150.7K

287.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$28.42 ₹2,736

104.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$30.23 ₹2,910

6.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$48.44 ₹4,664

107.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$31.17 ₹3,001

245.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$131 ₹12.6K

265.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$79.9 ₹7,690

370.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$297 ₹28.5K

184.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$179 ₹17.3K

307.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$577 ₹55.5K

457.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$382 ₹36.7K

259.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$401 ₹38.6K

53.95%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Balasore: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $131 in Balasore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 54% 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 $193 vs $97.0 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 164% 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.

Average pay runs 54% 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 $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 $1,031 per month in Medellin versus $390 in Balasore – a 164% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $390 in Balasore versus $1,031 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 $390 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 164% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.