Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Biratnagar Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Biratnagar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $381 in Biratnagar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $630 in Biratnagar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $880 in Biratnagar.

Living in Medellin is roughly 171% more expensive than Biratnagar, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Biratnagar 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$1.67 NPR 254

254.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$18.37 NPR 2,791

78.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$8.46 NPR 1,286

-14.89%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.50 NPR 228

13.33%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.35 NPR 52.8

214.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.18 NPR 27.81

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.61 NPR 245

3.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.59 NPR 393

19.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$0.69 NPR 104

53.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.39 NPR 59.8

220.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$0.72 NPR 109

93.06%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.34 NPR 203

68.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$5.22 NPR 792

-17.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$3.03 NPR 461

92.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$3.55 NPR 540

148.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.15 NPR 326

4.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$0.90 NPR 137

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.48 NPR 224

3.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$0.55 NPR 83.4

149.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.41 NPR 61.8

175.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.49 NPR 74.4

128.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.52 NPR 79.5

63.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.34 NPR 52.1

167.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$2.83 NPR 430

-17.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$2.33 NPR 354

-48.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$3.37 NPR 512

-29.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.17 NPR 26.54

364.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$13.25 NPR 2,013

210.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$2.12 NPR 322

-32.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.80 NPR 122

138.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$2.61 NPR 396

207.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.31 NPR 198

-28.24%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$31.5K NPR 4.8M

-43.05%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$41.3K NPR 6.3M

-35.13%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$26.35 NPR 4,003

218.63%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$4.74 NPR 720

102.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$10.35 NPR 1,572

133.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$18.29 NPR 2,779

41.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$2.24 NPR 340

750.00%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$3.38 NPR 514

15.98%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$52.9 NPR 8,035

479.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$1,952 NPR 296.6K

203.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$25.15 NPR 3,820

130.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$36.61 NPR 5,562

-13.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$27.80 NPR 4,224

259.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$33.26 NPR 5,053

222.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$105 NPR 16.0K

362.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$58.2 NPR 8,839

532.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$207 NPR 31.5K

298.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$144 NPR 21.9K

397.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$391 NPR 59.5K

647.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$261 NPR 39.6K

439.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$166 NPR 25.2K

228.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-4.07%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Biratnagar: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $105 in Biratnagar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 228% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $18.00 in Biratnagar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $112 per month, with Biratnagar 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 Biratnagar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Biratnagar is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 171% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Medellin pays 228% more on average, 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: $487 in Medellin versus $105 in Biratnagar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Biratnagar – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $381 in Biratnagar versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Biratnagar but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Biratnagar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Biratnagar 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 Biratnagar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 171% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.