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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $305 in Bhilai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $503 in Bhilai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $701 in Bhilai.

Living in Medellin is roughly 238% more expensive than in Bhilai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Bhilai 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$2.58 ₹249

138.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$8.18 ₹787

298.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$3.13 ₹301

134.50%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$1.87 ₹180

-8.02%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.28 ₹26.52

275.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.19 ₹18.34

305.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$1.52 ₹146

11.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$3.30 ₹317

-3.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$0.69 ₹66.2

52.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.30 ₹28.43

333.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$0.65 ₹62.9

115.38%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$0.92 ₹88.9

134.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$4.57 ₹440

-3.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$2.81 ₹271

109.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$2.12 ₹204

7.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$0.60 ₹57.8

85.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$0.65 ₹62.9

135.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$0.39 ₹37.88

246.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.42 ₹40.82

169.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.47 ₹44.82

140.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.22 ₹21.16

286.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.27 ₹25.62

237.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$2.30 ₹222

1.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$4.57 ₹440

170.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.02 ₹98.1

17.65%

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)

$4.05 ₹390

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$0.24 ₹23.20

250.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$2.84 ₹273

1328.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.18 ₹114

20.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.24 ₹23.17

700.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$1.71 ₹164

347.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.22 ₹117

-18.85%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$11.7K ₹1.1M

54.44%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$20.3K ₹2.0M

31.44%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$23.67 ₹2,278

241.40%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$3.87 ₹372

157.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$6.32 ₹608

282.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$3.47 ₹334

622.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$6.88 ₹662

178.34%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$1.72 ₹166

131.40%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$57.0 ₹5,487

435.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$1,490 ₹143.4K

306.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$17.61 ₹1,695

230.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$17.70 ₹1,704

81.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$17.77 ₹1,711

466.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$27.67 ₹2,664

289.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$124 ₹11.9K

284.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$69.5 ₹6,692

441.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$273 ₹26.3K

208.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$182 ₹17.6K

300.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$653 ₹62.9K

-5.53%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bhilai: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $124 in Bhilai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bhilai pays 6% 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 $193 vs $88.0 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 238% in total monthly costs ($1,031 vs $305 including rent). Bhilai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Bhilai. 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: $477 in Medellin versus $124 in Bhilai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $57.0 in Bhilai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 119% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $305 in Bhilai versus $1,031 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 238% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.