Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Butwal Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Butwal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $337 in Butwal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $596 in Butwal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $855 in Butwal.

Living in Medellin is roughly 398% more expensive than in Butwal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$1.99 NPR 305

303.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$19.70 NPR 3,022

142.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$6.67 NPR 1,024

48.28%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.27 NPR 195

146.46%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.55 NPR 83.9

247.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.11 NPR 17.05

1272.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.43 NPR 372

28.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$1.78 NPR 273

223.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$0.63 NPR 96.7

128.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.45 NPR 68.4

453.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$0.71 NPR 108

149.30%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.29 NPR 198

129.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$7.16 NPR 1,099

40.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$3.39 NPR 520

198.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$5.87 NPR 901

143.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.12 NPR 325

95.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$0.78 NPR 119

106.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.18 NPR 182

90.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.58 NPR 88.6

287.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.39 NPR 59.6

423.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.50 NPR 76.4

208.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.49 NPR 74.9

138.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.25 NPR 38.45

424.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.61 NPR 400

49.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$6.43 NPR 987

117.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$2.28 NPR 350

-23.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.97 NPR 303

45.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.16 NPR 24.77

662.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$8.05 NPR 1,236

899.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.61 NPR 247

-18.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.16 NPR 178

88.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$2.70 NPR 414

222.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.10 NPR 169

24.55%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$29.0K NPR 4.4M

-3.93%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$24.7K NPR 3.8M

45.00%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$13.06 NPR 2,004

1257.58%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$3.33 NPR 511

316.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$8.12 NPR 1,246

266.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$12.96 NPR 1,989

246.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$9.93 NPR 1,523

72.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$2.80 NPR 430

137.50%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$21.70 NPR 3,329

3646.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$791 NPR 121.3K

1062.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$24.20 NPR 3,713

269.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$25.04 NPR 3,842

135.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$32.77 NPR 5,028

321.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$21.55 NPR 3,307

373.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$46.50 NPR 7,134

2183.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$27.34 NPR 4,196

2324.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$129 NPR 19.7K

1368.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$100 NPR 15.4K

924.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$13.0K NPR 2.0M

-67.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$124 NPR 19.0K

447.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.72

12.55%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Butwal: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $46.50 in Butwal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 447% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $20.00 in Butwal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $133 per month, with Butwal 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 Butwal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butwal wins on cost – living expenses run 398% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Butwal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 447% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $46.50 in Butwal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 129% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Butwal – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $337 in Butwal versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Butwal but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Butwal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Butwal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $337 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Butwal hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Butwal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 398% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.