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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $338 in Budaun.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $544 in Budaun.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $750 in Budaun.

Living in Medellin is roughly 204% more expensive than Budaun, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Budaun 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$2.14 ₹202

180.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.5K

$11.42 ₹1,080

187.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.4K

$2.98 ₹282

148.99%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,659

$0.57 ₹53.5

189.47%

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

$1.07 COP 3,663

$0.27 ₹25.34

296.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,607

$0.10 ₹9.70

660.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,908

$1.48 ₹140

16.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$1.78 ₹168

79.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,597

$0.71 ₹67.3

47.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,479

$0.34 ₹31.71

285.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,591

$0.60 ₹56.4

123.33%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,521

$0.67 ₹63.2

226.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.1K

$4.35 ₹411

1.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.5K

$2.27 ₹215

150.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.2K

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,023

$1.18 ₹111

98.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,804

$0.49 ₹46.61

126.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,210

$0.59 ₹55.9

157.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,680

$0.46 ₹43.15

197.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,950

$0.26 ₹24.63

342.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,043

$0.34 ₹31.85

247.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,885

$0.13 ₹12.28

546.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,931

$0.34 ₹32.59

152.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,753

$2.52 ₹238

-10.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.8K

$2.59 ₹245

347.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,109

$1.43 ₹135

-16.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,484

$2.27 ₹215

9.25%

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

$3.44 ₹325

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,721

$0.28 ₹26.16

182.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

$8.77 ₹830

365.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,023

$0.55 ₹52.3

167.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,568

$0.10 ₹9.10

1820.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.6K

$1.14 ₹108

581.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,464

$1.14 ₹108

-11.40%

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

$17.7K COP 60.5M

$5,905 ₹558.7K

199.01%

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

$26.5K COP 90.7M

$16.9K ₹1.6M

56.39%

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

$81.1 COP 277.9K

$50.6 ₹4,786

60.34%

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

$9.43 COP 32.3K

$3.14 ₹297

200.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 81.8K

$5.55 ₹525

329.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.1K

$15.79 ₹1,494

64.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.1K

$7.13 ₹675

162.41%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.0K

$2.93 ₹277

39.59%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$35.87 ₹3,393

776.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.6M

$1,528 ₹144.5K

294.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 204.6K

$22.91 ₹2,167

160.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.6K

$31.22 ₹2,953

2.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 346.9K

$39.96 ₹3,780

153.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 360.3K

$18.39 ₹1,739

471.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$126 ₹11.9K

285.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$75.7 ₹7,159

382.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$277 ₹26.2K

198.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$181 ₹17.1K

303.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$1,095 ₹103.5K

173.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$536 ₹50.7K

145.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

8.49

58.19%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Budaun: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $126 in Budaun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $11.00 in Budaun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $76.0 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 204% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,542 in Medellin and $508 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: $485 in Medellin versus $126 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 366% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $315 in Medellin versus $35.87 in Budaun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $338 in Budaun versus $1,028 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 204% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.