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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $362 in Butwal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $626 in Butwal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $890 in Butwal.

Living in Medellin is roughly 185% more expensive than in Butwal, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Butwal 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$1.80 NPR 278

242.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$19.28 NPR 2,973

69.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$6.62 NPR 1,021

10.88%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$1.42 NPR 218

21.13%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.53 NPR 81.7

98.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.13 NPR 19.57

492.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$2.53 NPR 390

-33.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$1.97 NPR 304

60.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$0.66 NPR 101

59.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.52 NPR 80.5

150.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$0.82 NPR 127

70.73%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$1.48 NPR 229

45.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$9.04 NPR 1,394

-51.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$3.09 NPR 476

90.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$6.00 NPR 925

44.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$2.19 NPR 337

4.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$0.89 NPR 137

24.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$1.20 NPR 186

27.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$0.64 NPR 98.6

110.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.52 NPR 79.7

117.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.73 NPR 113

54.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.49 NPR 75.1

73.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.27 NPR 41.73

237.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$2.94 NPR 453

-20.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$6.46 NPR 996

91.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$2.33 NPR 360

-48.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$2.21 NPR 340

12.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.18 NPR 28.32

366.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$9.08 NPR 1,401

346.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.80 NPR 278

-21.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.71 NPR 109

170.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$2.87 NPR 443

166.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.28 NPR 198

-22.66%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$31.8K NPR 4.9M

-43.37%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$27.3K NPR 4.2M

-2.32%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$14.46 NPR 2,230

458.85%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$4.78 NPR 736

108.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$9.85 NPR 1,518

145.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$14.67 NPR 2,263

70.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$10.74 NPR 1,656

78.31%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$3.07 NPR 473

29.64%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$24.37 NPR 3,758

1152.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$885 NPR 136.4K

584.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$24.59 NPR 3,792

136.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$26.81 NPR 4,135

20.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$35.86 NPR 5,530

180.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$23.79 NPR 3,669

352.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$51.0 NPR 7,862

834.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$30.54 NPR 4,709

1131.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$146 NPR 22.5K

479.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$113 NPR 17.3K

549.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$13.1K NPR 2.0M

-75.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$124 NPR 19.1K

398.42%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Butwal: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $51.0 in Butwal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 398% 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 $193 vs $143 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 185% 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 398% 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: $477 in Medellin versus $51.0 in Butwal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% 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 $362 in Butwal versus $1,031 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 $362 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 185% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.