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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $378 in Birgunj.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $620 in Birgunj.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $863 in Birgunj.

Living in Medellin is roughly 173% more expensive than in Birgunj, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$1.49 NPR 228

313.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$19.16 NPR 2,943

70.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$6.42 NPR 986

14.33%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$1.89 NPR 290

-8.99%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.54 NPR 82.4

94.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.14 NPR 21.25

450.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$2.52 NPR 387

-32.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$3.70 NPR 568

-14.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$0.74 NPR 114

41.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.28 NPR 43.07

364.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$0.67 NPR 103

108.96%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$1.79 NPR 276

20.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$7.94 NPR 1,220

-44.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$2.62 NPR 403

124.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$6.04 NPR 927

43.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$2.27 NPR 349

0.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$1.06 NPR 163

4.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$1.18 NPR 182

29.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$0.70 NPR 108

92.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.51 NPR 78.6

121.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.63 NPR 96.3

79.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.15 NPR 23.66

466.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.23 NPR 35.44

295.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$1.84 NPR 283

27.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$8.65 NPR 1,329

43.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$2.36 NPR 362

-49.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$3.37 NPR 518

-26.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$0.16 NPR 24.83

425.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$2.12 NPR 326

-33.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$1.06 NPR 163

81.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$3.60 NPR 553

112.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.21 NPR 186

-18.18%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$32.3K NPR 5.0M

-44.22%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$40.6K NPR 6.2M

-34.36%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$33.18 NPR 5,097

143.55%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$3.67 NPR 563

171.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$9.85 NPR 1,513

145.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$14.73 NPR 2,262

70.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$2.16 NPR 331

84.26%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$90.8 NPR 14.0K

235.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$3,718 NPR 571.1K

62.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$25.12 NPR 3,859

131.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$27.68 NPR 4,252

16.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$29.27 NPR 4,496

244.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$17.99 NPR 2,764

498.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$38.60 NPR 5,930

1134.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$43.96 NPR 6,752

755.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$141 NPR 21.6K

499.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$85.9 NPR 13.2K

750.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$645 NPR 99.0K

398.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$498 NPR 76.4K

175.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

12.08

11.18%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Birgunj: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $38.60 in Birgunj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $19.00 in Birgunj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $143 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 173% 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 $1,546 in Medellin and $567 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: $477 in Medellin versus $38.60 in Birgunj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $90.8 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 $19.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $378 in Birgunj versus $1,031 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 $378 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 173% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.