Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Budaun Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Budaun

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $342 in Budaun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $568 in Budaun.

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

Living in Medellin is roughly 392% more expensive than in Budaun, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Budaun is 75% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$2.06 ₹198

289.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$20.83 ₹1,998

129.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$2.64 ₹253

274.62%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$0.54 ₹51.6

479.63%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.38 ₹36.52

402.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.17 ₹16.71

788.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.85 ₹177

68.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$1.56 ₹149

268.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$0.65 ₹62.3

121.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.32 ₹30.84

678.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$0.53 ₹51.1

233.96%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$0.64 ₹61.7

362.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$4.23 ₹406

138.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$2.10 ₹202

381.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.01 ₹97.2

309.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$0.41 ₹39.29

292.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$0.53 ₹51.0

324.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.44 ₹41.88

411.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.31 ₹29.89

558.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.33 ₹31.23

366.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.10 ₹9.79

1070.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.31 ₹29.85

322.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.25 ₹216

73.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$2.64 ₹253

430.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.27 ₹121

37.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.06 ₹198

39.32%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$3.22 ₹309

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.27 ₹25.45

351.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$7.13 ₹684

1028.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.02 ₹97.6

28.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.10 ₹9.35

2090.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$1.60 ₹153

444.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.07 ₹102

28.04%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$5,293 ₹507.8K

425.95%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$19.0K ₹1.8M

88.30%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$43.01 ₹4,127

312.23%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$4.25 ₹407

226.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$6.79 ₹652

337.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$15.96 ₹1,531

181.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$6.87 ₹659

149.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$5.10 ₹490

30.39%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$96.7 ₹9,280

740.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$2,046 ₹196.3K

348.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$25.21 ₹2,419

254.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$28.73 ₹2,757

105.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$53.6 ₹5,138

158.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$46.67 ₹4,477

118.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$121 ₹11.6K

779.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$72.6 ₹6,967

812.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$264 ₹25.3K

616.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$168 ₹16.1K

511.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,073 ₹103.0K

289.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$436 ₹41.8K

284.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.6

27.21%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Budaun: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $121 in Budaun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $21.00 in Budaun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $71.0 per month, with Budaun 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 Budaun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Budaun is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 392% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $513 in Budaun 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 $121 in Budaun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Budaun runs roughly 1029% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $96.7 in Budaun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $342 in Budaun versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Budaun but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Budaun the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Budaun 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 Budaun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 392% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.