Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Butwal

For one person, living is cheaper in Butwal: $334 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
16

Cost of Living Index in Butwal
Learn more

Butwal Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Butwal

🇳🇵 Nepal

$334

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Butwal

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 Butwal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $334 in Butwal.

Medellin $1,639
Butwal $334

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $584 in Butwal.

Medellin $2,413
Butwal $584

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $835 in Butwal.

Medellin $3,186
Butwal $835

Living in Medellin is roughly 391% more expensive than in Butwal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Butwal is 75% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$1.94 NPR 295

317.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$19.90 NPR 3,022

136.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$6.41 NPR 973

48.21%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$1.29 NPR 196

133.33%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.56 NPR 85.0

221.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.12 NPR 17.93

1075.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$2.39 NPR 363

33.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$1.80 NPR 273

219.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$0.63 NPR 95.7

139.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.44 NPR 66.7

440.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$0.70 NPR 106

152.86%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$1.35 NPR 204

114.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$7.32 NPR 1,111

39.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$3.07 NPR 467

221.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$6.04 NPR 916

131.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.00 NPR 304

98.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$0.77 NPR 117

101.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$1.17 NPR 178

86.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$0.55 NPR 82.9

296.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$0.38 NPR 58.3

415.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$0.50 NPR 76.1

218.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.45 NPR 68.5

155.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.22 NPR 33.34

463.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$2.44 NPR 370

62.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$6.62 NPR 1,004

106.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$2.24 NPR 340

-25.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$1.96 NPR 297

15.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.17 NPR 25.57

588.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$8.01 NPR 1,216

865.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.67 NPR 254

-23.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$1.13 NPR 172

81.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$2.64 NPR 401

223.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.15 NPR 175

17.39%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$36.8K NPR 5.6M

-7.37%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$24.9K NPR 3.8M

39.47%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$13.30 NPR 2,019

1175.56%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$3.49 NPR 529

288.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$9.22 NPR 1,400

204.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$12.89 NPR 1,956

239.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$9.98 NPR 1,515

72.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$2.82 NPR 427

145.04%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$21.88 NPR 3,322

3540.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$788 NPR 119.6K

1056.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$23.69 NPR 3,596

257.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$24.45 NPR 3,711

137.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$32.81 NPR 4,981

311.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$21.27 NPR 3,229

360.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$46.78 NPR 7,101

2481.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$27.60 NPR 4,189

2224.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$132 NPR 20.0K

1437.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$101 NPR 15.3K

901.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$13.0K NPR 2.0M

-67.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$123 NPR 18.7K

434.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.98

9.62%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Butwal: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Butwal

$28 8.3% 95.7% $614

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Butwal

$131 39.3% 55.8% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Butwal

$26 7.8% 87.7% $185

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Butwal

$69 20.5% 59.6% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Butwal

$46 13.8% 72.8% $123

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Butwal

$16 4.8% 82.9% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Butwal

$19 5.5% 67.8% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $47 in Butwal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 5.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $20 in Butwal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $131 per month, with Butwal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇳🇵 Butwal

🕒 Local time

22:59 10:59 PM

09:44 9:44 AM

10 h 45 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

195,054

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1,000 NPR = 6.59 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NPR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 170 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.9 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Butwal 15,620 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Butwal

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 Butwal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butwal wins on cost – living expenses run 80% 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 in Medellin is about 5.3 times higher, 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $47 in Butwal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 126% 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 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $334 in Butwal versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $800 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 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 Butwal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.