Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bilaspur Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bilaspur

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $368 in Bilaspur, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $582 in Bilaspur, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $795 in Bilaspur, rent included.

Medellin costs about 346% more than Bilaspur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Bilaspur is 73% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$2.07 ₹198

288.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$12.71 ₹1,214

279.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$4.88 ₹466

93.03%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$1.35 ₹129

117.78%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.40 ₹38.49

365.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.12 ₹11.90

1116.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.68 ₹160

91.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.09 ₹295

84.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$0.51 ₹48.28

182.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.48 ₹45.39

400.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$0.62 ₹58.9

174.19%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$0.92 ₹87.9

214.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$4.47 ₹427

125.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$2.88 ₹275

246.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.93 ₹184

106.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$0.68 ₹65.1

132.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$0.94 ₹89.6

128.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$0.47 ₹45.38

389.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.32 ₹30.97

525.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.43 ₹40.93

251.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.45 ₹42.66

166.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.29 ₹27.24

341.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$4.96 ₹474

-22.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$7.43 ₹710

88.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.66 ₹158

3.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.79 ₹266

-1.79%

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

$4.96 ₹474

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.25 ₹23.65

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$7.43 ₹710

948.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$0.76 ₹72.2

72.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.27 ₹26.00

703.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$1.55 ₹148

434.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$0.98 ₹94.1

38.78%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$12.4K ₹1.2M

121.22%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$19.8K ₹1.9M

84.95%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$35.95 ₹3,434

369.32%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$3.25 ₹311

317.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$6.65 ₹635

325.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$14.09 ₹1,347

224.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$6.58 ₹629

161.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$2.89 ₹277

130.10%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$48.19 ₹4,604

1567.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$1,437 ₹137.3K

539.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$22.54 ₹2,154

287.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$23.12 ₹2,209

156.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$37.93 ₹3,624

266.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$27.74 ₹2,650

267.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$121 ₹11.6K

781.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$72.8 ₹6,960

796.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$268 ₹25.6K

617.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$174 ₹16.7K

500.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$963 ₹92.0K

327.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$509 ₹48.6K

233.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.86

23.48%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Bilaspur: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $121 in Bilaspur. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $13.00 in Bilaspur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $99.0 – making Bilaspur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Bilaspur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 346% more than Bilaspur, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $552 in Bilaspur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bilaspur, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 202% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $13.00 in Bilaspur. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bilaspur, where all-in costs run around $368, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Bilaspur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bilaspur costs $368 versus $1,641 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Bilaspur. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.