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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $384 in Birgunj.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $620 in Birgunj.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $856 in Birgunj.

Living in Medellin is roughly 164% more expensive than Birgunj, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$1.43 NPR 217

318.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$18.86 NPR 2,871

74.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$6.68 NPR 1,017

6.14%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$1.86 NPR 283

-8.06%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.54 NPR 81.6

103.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.14 NPR 21.88

457.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$2.58 NPR 393

-34.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$3.68 NPR 561

-16.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$0.69 NPR 106

57.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$0.26 NPR 39.48

384.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$0.68 NPR 103

102.94%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$1.74 NPR 265

25.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$7.81 NPR 1,188

-43.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$2.59 NPR 394

117.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$6.04 NPR 920

47.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$2.26 NPR 344

3.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.04 NPR 159

1.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.20 NPR 182

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$0.64 NPR 97.6

115.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$0.48 NPR 72.5

139.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$0.62 NPR 95.0

87.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.16 NPR 24.86

456.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.23 NPR 35.13

265.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$1.86 NPR 283

22.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$7.93 NPR 1,207

34.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$2.33 NPR 354

-48.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$3.24 NPR 493

-23.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.14 NPR 20.98

514.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$2.22 NPR 338

-33.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$1.10 NPR 167

78.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$3.61 NPR 550

114.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.22 NPR 186

-22.13%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$32.6K NPR 5.0M

-44.47%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$41.1K NPR 6.3M

-35.59%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$33.23 NPR 5,058

147.52%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$3.61 NPR 550

163.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$9.91 NPR 1,509

144.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$14.34 NPR 2,183

80.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$2.23 NPR 339

76.23%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$90.4 NPR 13.8K

242.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$3,822 NPR 581.7K

56.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$25.26 NPR 3,844

132.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$27.58 NPR 4,198

17.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$28.79 NPR 4,383

256.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$18.31 NPR 2,786

492.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$37.97 NPR 5,780

1154.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$44.41 NPR 6,760

752.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$136 NPR 20.7K

516.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$88.4 NPR 13.5K

719.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$664 NPR 101.0K

320.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$493 NPR 75.0K

145.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Birgunj: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $37.97 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 $188 vs $139 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 164% 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 $1,519 in Medellin and $576 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: $476 in Medellin versus $37.97 in Birgunj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $90.4 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 $384 in Birgunj versus $1,013 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 $384 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 164% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.