Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Budaun

For one person, living is cheaper in Budaun: $362 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in Budaun
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Budaun Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Budaun

🇮🇳 India

$362

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Budaun

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Budaun actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $362 in Budaun.

Medellin $1,692
Budaun $362

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $604 in Budaun.

Medellin $2,471
Budaun $604

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $846 in Budaun.

Medellin $3,249
Budaun $846

Living in Medellin is roughly 367% more expensive than in Budaun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Budaun is 73% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$3.72 ₹352

124.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.2K

$20.68 ₹1,959

125.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$2.68 ₹254

253.36%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$0.51 ₹48.14

513.73%

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

$1.77 COP 5,702

$0.38 ₹36.27

365.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,599

$0.15 ₹13.93

846.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.90 ₹180

65.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$1.55 ₹147

267.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,948

$0.61 ₹57.8

150.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$0.33 ₹31.33

593.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,279

$0.52 ₹49.10

273.08%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,900

$0.64 ₹60.8

379.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

$4.25 ₹403

135.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$2.12 ₹201

392.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$1.03 ₹97.1

293.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,934

$0.40 ₹38.24

282.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,794

$0.54 ₹51.3

288.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,405

$0.43 ₹41.08

432.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,810

$0.29 ₹27.13

627.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,518

$0.33 ₹31.71

418.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,778

$0.11 ₹10.87

963.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,101

$0.29 ₹27.34

444.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$2.26 ₹214

73.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$2.59 ₹245

442.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,688

$1.28 ₹122

37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,756

$2.11 ₹200

28.44%

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

$3.16 ₹299

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,809

$0.21 ₹19.88

461.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.3K

$7.19 ₹681

961.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,833

$1.03 ₹97.4

75.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,874

$0.10 ₹9.21

2030.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

$1.56 ₹148

421.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,117

$1.04 ₹98.4

23.08%

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

$5,357 ₹507.5K

542.94%

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

$34.1K COP 110.2M

$19.4K ₹1.8M

75.71%

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

$178 COP 573.8K

$42.41 ₹4,018

319.08%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$4.13 ₹391

236.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.2K

$6.76 ₹640

354.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.4K

$14.19 ₹1,345

195.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

$6.66 ₹631

152.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$5.39 ₹510

38.59%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$102 ₹9,681

673.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$2,327 ₹220.5K

428.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.7K

$24.80 ₹2,349

248.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.3K

$28.33 ₹2,684

109.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.6K

$53.0 ₹5,021

161.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.0K

$44.96 ₹4,260

119.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$122 ₹11.5K

1002.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$77.0 ₹7,298

766.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$266 ₹25.2K

641.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$186 ₹17.7K

454.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$917 ₹86.9K

346.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$538 ₹51.0K

260.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.35

31.02%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Budaun: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Budaun

$77 21.3% 88.5% $590

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Budaun

$71 19.5% 77.1% $237

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Budaun

$53 14.7% 76% $169

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Budaun

$59 16.2% 66% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Budaun

$68 18.8% 60.5% $104

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Budaun

$9.5 2.6% 89.8% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Budaun

$25 6.9% 56.1% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,341 in Medellin and $122 in Budaun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $21 in Budaun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $71 per month, with Budaun cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇳 Budaun

🕒 Local time

01:42 1:42 AM

12:12 12:12 PM

10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

159,300

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.56 USD

1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,610 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 94.74 INR (100 INR = 1.06 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Budaun 15,330 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Budaun

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 79% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,538 in Medellin and $543 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: $1,341 in Medellin versus $122 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 91% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $790 in Medellin versus $102 in Budaun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $362 in Budaun versus $1,692 in Medellin, a $1,000 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Budaun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.