Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bhilai Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bhilai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $324 in Bhilai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $554 in Bhilai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $785 in Bhilai.

Living in Medellin is roughly 430% more expensive than in Bhilai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Bhilai is 76% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$2.65 ₹250

203.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$8.71 ₹823

454.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$3.17 ₹299

208.20%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$1.88 ₹178

54.79%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$0.31 ₹29.53

525.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.19 ₹17.65

700.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$1.60 ₹151

93.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$2.91 ₹275

97.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$0.56 ₹53.0

142.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$0.38 ₹36.17

528.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$0.61 ₹57.3

178.69%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$1.00 ₹94.9

187.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$4.16 ₹393

138.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$2.76 ₹260

290.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.39 ₹226

71.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$0.54 ₹50.7

190.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$0.89 ₹84.2

139.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$0.44 ₹41.93

402.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$0.35 ₹33.50

485.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$0.45 ₹42.17

233.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$0.27 ₹25.76

340.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.29 ₹27.25

300.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.98 ₹470

-21.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$4.84 ₹457

198.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$1.75 ₹165

-9.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$2.70 ₹255

4.81%

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

$3.88 ₹367

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.35 ₹33.52

234.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$6.76 ₹639

1049.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$1.04 ₹97.8

23.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$0.22 ₹20.83

850.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$1.87 ₹177

360.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.07 ₹101

21.50%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$11.8K ₹1.1M

135.03%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$18.1K ₹1.7M

95.71%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$31.55 ₹2,981

458.07%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$3.17 ₹300

321.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$5.02 ₹474

495.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$6.67 ₹630

571.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$3.08 ₹291

453.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$3.45 ₹326

79.71%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$82.8 ₹7,827

857.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$1,053 ₹99.5K

756.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$23.28 ₹2,199

267.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$29.05 ₹2,745

101.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$23.89 ₹2,257

470.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$23.59 ₹2,229

337.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$73.1 ₹6,904

1350.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$57.5 ₹5,430

1082.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$260 ₹24.5K

674.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$209 ₹19.7K

460.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$653 ₹61.7K

1.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

7.5

45.87%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Bhilai: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $73.1 in Bhilai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 2% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $9.00 in Bhilai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $93.0 per month, with Bhilai 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 Bhilai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Bhilai differ by about 430% in total monthly costs ($1,716 vs $324 including rent). Bhilai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2% 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $73.1 in Bhilai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $82.8 in Bhilai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 225% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $324 in Bhilai versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bhilai but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bhilai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Bhilai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 430% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.