Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Begusarai Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Begusarai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $286 in Begusarai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $510 in Begusarai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $735 in Begusarai.

Living in Medellin is roughly 262% more expensive than Begusarai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Begusarai 79% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$2.39 ₹227

147.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$8.03 ₹763

307.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$3.42 ₹325

110.53%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.40 ₹133

21.43%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.34 ₹31.84

223.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.09 ₹8.62

700.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$2.29 ₹218

-27.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.98 ₹283

4.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$0.58 ₹55.5

82.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.46 ₹43.60

171.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$0.52 ₹49.35

167.31%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$0.89 ₹84.9

153.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$4.22 ₹401

2.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$2.66 ₹252

119.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.33 ₹126

68.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$0.64 ₹61.1

68.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.02 ₹97.2

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$0.45 ₹42.71

204.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.22 ₹20.83

413.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.37 ₹35.25

202.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.24 ₹22.86

254.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.27 ₹25.82

237.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$2.49 ₹236

-6.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$6.35 ₹603

75.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$2.06 ₹196

-42.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.31 ₹220

2.60%

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

$6.52 ₹619

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.30 ₹28.62

163.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$8.48 ₹805

385.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$0.24 ₹22.83

500.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.18 ₹16.79

961.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$1.73 ₹164

363.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.17 ₹112

-19.66%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$11.2K ₹1.1M

59.44%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$17.6K ₹1.7M

52.03%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$12.96 ₹1,230

547.84%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$2.63 ₹250

265.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$7.50 ₹712

222.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$5.11 ₹485

406.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$10.05 ₹955

89.45%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$1.19 ₹113

229.41%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$50.2 ₹4,769

509.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$700 ₹66.4K

745.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$26.09 ₹2,477

121.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$27.66 ₹2,626

15.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$23.14 ₹2,197

331.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$31.15 ₹2,957

243.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$57.6 ₹5,470

744.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$40.11 ₹3,808

817.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$270 ₹25.7K

205.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$182 ₹17.2K

294.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$953 ₹90.5K

207.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$461 ₹43.8K

204.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$663 ₹62.9K

-17.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

9.05

48.40%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Begusarai: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $57.6 in Begusarai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Begusarai pays 21% 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 $8.00 in Begusarai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $92.0 per month, with Begusarai 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 Begusarai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Begusarai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 262% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Begusarai earns 21% 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: $487 in Medellin versus $57.6 in Begusarai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Begusarai – a meal for two runs $8.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,034 per month in Medellin versus $286 in Begusarai – a 262% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $286 in Begusarai versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Begusarai but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Begusarai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Begusarai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Begusarai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 262% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.