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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $361 in Butwal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $631 in Butwal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $902 in Butwal.

Living in Medellin is roughly 181% more expensive than Butwal, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Butwal 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$1.80 NPR 273

232.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$19.05 NPR 2,899

72.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$6.48 NPR 986

9.41%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$1.42 NPR 216

20.42%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.53 NPR 81.3

107.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.12 NPR 17.56

550.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$2.53 NPR 385

-33.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$1.96 NPR 298

56.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$0.66 NPR 100.0

65.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$0.49 NPR 74.8

157.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$0.79 NPR 120

74.68%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$1.48 NPR 226

47.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$8.99 NPR 1,368

-51.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$3.20 NPR 487

75.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$6.16 NPR 937

44.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$2.27 NPR 345

3.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$0.88 NPR 134

20.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.25 NPR 190

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$0.69 NPR 105

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$0.52 NPR 79.1

121.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$0.73 NPR 112

58.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.49 NPR 75.1

81.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.27 NPR 41.37

211.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$2.86 NPR 435

-20.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$6.63 NPR 1,010

60.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$2.32 NPR 353

-48.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$2.21 NPR 337

11.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.19 NPR 29.36

352.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$8.90 NPR 1,354

365.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$1.84 NPR 280

-20.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.70 NPR 107

180.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$2.94 NPR 448

163.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.23 NPR 188

-22.76%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$32.3K NPR 4.9M

-43.92%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$27.8K NPR 4.2M

-4.57%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$14.41 NPR 2,194

470.78%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$4.99 NPR 759

90.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$9.43 NPR 1,436

156.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$14.51 NPR 2,209

78.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$10.82 NPR 1,647

75.60%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$3.15 NPR 480

24.76%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$24.23 NPR 3,688

1176.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$857 NPR 130.5K

595.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$25.18 NPR 3,833

132.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$26.89 NPR 4,092

20.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$36.37 NPR 5,536

182.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$23.88 NPR 3,635

354.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$51.6 NPR 7,860

822.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$31.36 NPR 4,774

1107.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$144 NPR 21.9K

483.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$114 NPR 17.4K

534.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$13.4K NPR 2.0M

-79.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$121 NPR 18.4K

322.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.92%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Butwal: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $51.6 in Butwal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 323% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $19.00 in Butwal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $145 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 181% 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.

Medellin pays 323% more on average, 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: $476 in Medellin versus $51.6 in Butwal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% 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 $19.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $361 in Butwal versus $1,013 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 $361 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 181% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.