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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $376 in Biratnagar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $633 in Biratnagar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $890 in Biratnagar.

Living in Medellin is roughly 166% more expensive than in Biratnagar, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Biratnagar 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$1.76 NPR 268

235.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$17.89 NPR 2,730

84.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$8.31 NPR 1,268

-10.59%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$1.45 NPR 221

13.79%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$0.38 NPR 57.3

189.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.19 NPR 28.81

310.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$1.69 NPR 257

1.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$2.49 NPR 381

27.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$0.64 NPR 97.0

71.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$0.43 NPR 65.4

193.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$0.67 NPR 102

105.97%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$1.35 NPR 206

61.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$5.17 NPR 789

-13.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$2.94 NPR 449

96.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$3.54 NPR 540

153.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$2.24 NPR 342

3.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$0.90 NPR 137

17.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$1.50 NPR 229

1.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$0.57 NPR 87.6

138.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$0.44 NPR 67.0

156.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$0.48 NPR 74.0

143.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$0.52 NPR 79.9

73.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.35 NPR 52.8

157.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$2.99 NPR 457

-25.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$2.37 NPR 362

-49.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$3.33 NPR 509

-25.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.15 NPR 22.87

466.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

$13.12 NPR 2,003

217.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$2.19 NPR 335

-35.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$0.83 NPR 126

134.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$2.53 NPR 387

211.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$1.32 NPR 201

-25.00%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$32.4K NPR 4.9M

-45.63%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$41.2K NPR 6.3M

-34.98%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$26.27 NPR 4,010

215.99%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$4.60 NPR 703

110.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$10.01 NPR 1,527

134.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$17.97 NPR 2,743

40.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

$2.17 NPR 331

780.18%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$3.43 NPR 523

15.16%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$51.9 NPR 7,918

508.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$1,920 NPR 293.0K

211.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$24.90 NPR 3,800

140.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$35.79 NPR 5,463

-11.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$27.08 NPR 4,133

275.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$32.44 NPR 4,951

231.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$103 NPR 15.8K

359.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$59.1 NPR 9,027

532.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$206 NPR 31.5K

311.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$144 NPR 21.9K

400.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$395 NPR 60.4K

725.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$260 NPR 39.6K

454.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$163 NPR 24.9K

282.82%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Biratnagar: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $103 in Biratnagar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 283% 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 $193 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 166% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 283% higher in Medellin, 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: $475 in Medellin versus $103 in Biratnagar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% 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 $376 in Biratnagar versus $1,003 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 166% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.