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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $307 in Bhilai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $503 in Bhilai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $698 in Bhilai.

Living in Medellin is roughly 230% more expensive than Bhilai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Bhilai 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$2.60 ₹249

130.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$8.24 ₹788

298.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$3.25 ₹311

118.15%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$1.81 ₹173

-5.52%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$0.28 ₹26.73

292.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.21 ₹20.39

271.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$1.52 ₹146

10.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$3.10 ₹297

-0.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$0.67 ₹64.5

62.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$0.32 ₹30.74

293.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$0.68 ₹65.2

102.94%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$0.93 ₹88.6

135.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$4.60 ₹441

-4.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$2.76 ₹264

103.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$2.13 ₹204

9.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$0.56 ₹53.3

89.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$0.61 ₹58.2

145.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$0.43 ₹40.67

220.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$0.39 ₹37.37

194.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$0.47 ₹44.95

146.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$0.24 ₹22.97

270.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.27 ₹25.78

211.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$2.35 ₹225

-2.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$4.62 ₹442

130.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$0.95 ₹90.9

26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$2.30 ₹220

7.39%

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

$4.09 ₹392

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.24 ₹23.10

258.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$2.95 ₹282

1303.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$1.14 ₹109

28.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.24 ₹22.99

716.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$1.73 ₹165

347.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.18 ₹113

-19.49%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$11.7K ₹1.1M

55.14%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$19.8K ₹1.9M

33.64%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$23.59 ₹2,258

248.66%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$3.76 ₹360

152.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$6.08 ₹582

298.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$3.40 ₹326

661.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$6.83 ₹654

178.18%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$1.70 ₹163

131.18%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$57.1 ₹5,465

441.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$1,503 ₹143.9K

296.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$17.31 ₹1,656

238.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$17.68 ₹1,692

82.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$17.11 ₹1,638

499.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$27.43 ₹2,625

295.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$124 ₹11.9K

284.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$68.9 ₹6,591

449.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$271 ₹25.9K

209.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$179 ₹17.1K

304.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$647 ₹61.9K

-20.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

67.88%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bhilai: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $124 in Bhilai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bhilai pays 26% 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 Bhilai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $87.0 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 230% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $307 including rent). Bhilai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bhilai earns 26% 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 $124 in Bhilai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $57.1 in Bhilai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 116% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $307 in Bhilai versus $1,013 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 230% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.