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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $316 in Biratnagar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $524 in Biratnagar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $733 in Biratnagar.

Living in Medellin is roughly 432% more expensive than in Biratnagar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Biratnagar is 77% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$1.55 NPR 238

417.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$14.10 NPR 2,164

239.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$7.74 NPR 1,187

27.78%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.16 NPR 178

169.83%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.34 NPR 52.5

461.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.51 NPR 231

106.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.19 NPR 336

162.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$0.58 NPR 88.4

148.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.39 NPR 59.3

538.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$0.65 NPR 99.5

172.31%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.25 NPR 192

136.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$4.66 NPR 716

116.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$2.70 NPR 415

274.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$3.08 NPR 472

364.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.95 NPR 299

112.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$0.77 NPR 119

109.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.28 NPR 197

75.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.48 NPR 74.2

368.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.36 NPR 55.5

466.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.47 NPR 71.7

227.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.25 NPR 38.24

368.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.28 NPR 42.84

367.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.55 NPR 391

52.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.66 NPR 255

4.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.25 NPR 345

27.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.17 NPR 25.85

617.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$11.64 NPR 1,786

591.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.92 NPR 294

-31.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$2.23 NPR 342

290.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.17 NPR 180

17.09%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$20.8K NPR 3.2M

33.64%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

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

$177 COP 553.2K

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$4.11 NPR 631

237.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$8.92 NPR 1,369

233.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$28.13 NPR 4,316

59.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$2.01 NPR 308

751.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$3.09 NPR 474

115.21%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$46.99 NPR 7,211

1629.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$1,760 NPR 270.1K

421.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$19.95 NPR 3,060

348.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$33.38 NPR 5,122

76.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$24.50 NPR 3,759

464.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$28.88 NPR 4,432

253.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$45.11 NPR 6,921

2254.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$52.8 NPR 8,104

1155.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$131 NPR 20.0K

1345.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$98.3 NPR 15.1K

945.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$398 NPR 61.0K

952.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$263 NPR 40.4K

536.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$167 NPR 25.6K

305.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-21.86%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Biratnagar: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $45.11 in Biratnagar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 306% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $14.00 in Biratnagar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $95.0 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 432% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 306% 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $45.11 in Biratnagar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 220% 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 $14.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $316 in Biratnagar versus $1,681 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 432% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.