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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $389 in Biratnagar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $634 in Biratnagar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $879 in Biratnagar.

Living in Medellin is roughly 161% more expensive than Biratnagar, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Biratnagar 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$1.67 NPR 255

256.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$18.05 NPR 2,746

84.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$8.27 NPR 1,259

-12.58%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$1.46 NPR 222

11.64%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.37 NPR 56.4

194.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.17 NPR 26.01

329.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.66 NPR 253

4.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.52 NPR 383

28.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$0.69 NPR 105

52.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.42 NPR 64.3

207.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$0.67 NPR 102

97.01%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.36 NPR 207

66.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$5.23 NPR 795

-16.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$2.94 NPR 448

100.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$3.49 NPR 532

146.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.22 NPR 337

1.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$0.83 NPR 126

28.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.50 NPR 228

1.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$0.54 NPR 81.7

162.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$0.44 NPR 66.7

165.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.48 NPR 73.5

143.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.53 NPR 79.9

67.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.35 NPR 52.7

157.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$2.85 NPR 434

-21.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$2.34 NPR 356

-51.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$3.27 NPR 497

-27.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.17 NPR 26.14

394.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$12.99 NPR 1,976

222.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$2.21 NPR 336

-36.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.78 NPR 118

143.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$2.50 NPR 381

210.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.26 NPR 192

-19.84%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$31.8K NPR 4.8M

-44.71%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$41.0K NPR 6.2M

-35.38%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$26.30 NPR 4,002

218.17%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$4.69 NPR 713

101.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$10.16 NPR 1,546

137.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$18.14 NPR 2,760

39.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$2.13 NPR 325

798.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$3.54 NPR 538

15.82%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$52.4 NPR 7,970

495.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$1,900 NPR 289.1K

215.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$24.44 NPR 3,719

137.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$36.78 NPR 5,597

-11.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$27.25 NPR 4,147

265.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$33.39 NPR 5,081

225.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$104 NPR 15.8K

363.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$57.9 NPR 8,805

555.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$203 NPR 30.9K

311.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$144 NPR 21.9K

403.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$390 NPR 59.3K

628.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$258 NPR 39.3K

373.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$164 NPR 25.0K

229.40%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Biratnagar: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $104 in Biratnagar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 229% 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 161% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Medellin pays 229% 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: $482 in Medellin versus $104 in Biratnagar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% 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 $389 in Biratnagar versus $1,017 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 161% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.