Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Birgunj Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Birgunj

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $358 in Birgunj.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $576 in Birgunj.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $794 in Birgunj.

Living in Medellin is roughly 370% more expensive than in Birgunj, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Birgunj is 74% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$1.29 NPR 198

521.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$20.14 NPR 3,089

137.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$7.66 NPR 1,176

29.11%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$1.59 NPR 244

96.86%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$0.56 NPR 86.3

241.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.14 NPR 21.36

978.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$2.32 NPR 355

34.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$3.53 NPR 541

62.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$0.68 NPR 104

111.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$0.24 NPR 36.77

937.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$0.64 NPR 97.7

176.56%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$1.62 NPR 248

82.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$7.33 NPR 1,124

37.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$2.30 NPR 352

340.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$5.83 NPR 894

145.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$2.11 NPR 324

96.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$0.92 NPR 142

75.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$1.32 NPR 203

70.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$0.53 NPR 81.5

324.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$0.38 NPR 58.7

436.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$0.50 NPR 76.5

208.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$0.15 NPR 22.80

680.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.22 NPR 33.08

495.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$1.62 NPR 248

140.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$7.84 NPR 1,203

78.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$2.20 NPR 338

-20.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$3.14 NPR 482

-8.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.14 NPR 20.74

771.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$1.93 NPR 297

-32.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$1.29 NPR 198

69.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$3.21 NPR 493

171.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.06 NPR 162

29.25%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$29.2K NPR 4.5M

-4.51%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$37.0K NPR 5.7M

-3.44%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$31.86 NPR 4,887

456.50%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$3.34 NPR 512

315.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$7.83 NPR 1,201

279.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$13.08 NPR 2,007

243.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$2.00 NPR 307

232.50%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$66.9 NPR 10.3K

1115.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$4,861 NPR 745.7K

89.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$26.22 NPR 4,023

241.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$28.83 NPR 4,423

104.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$25.69 NPR 3,941

437.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$16.34 NPR 2,507

525.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$34.79 NPR 5,338

2952.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$39.61 NPR 6,076

1573.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$124 NPR 19.0K

1426.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$79.5 NPR 12.2K

1192.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$647 NPR 99.3K

546.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$486 NPR 74.6K

244.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.72

12.55%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Birgunj: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $34.79 in Birgunj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $20.00 in Birgunj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $132 per month, with Birgunj 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 Birgunj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Birgunj wins on cost – living expenses run 370% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Birgunj the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $536 in Birgunj to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $34.79 in Birgunj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $66.9 in Birgunj. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Birgunj – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $358 in Birgunj versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Birgunj but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Birgunj the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Birgunj delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $358 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Birgunj hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Birgunj are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Birgunj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 370% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.