Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chandigarh Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chandigarh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $486 in Chandigarh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $764 in Chandigarh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,042 in Chandigarh.

Living in Medellin is roughly 246% more expensive than in Chandigarh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Chandigarh is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$3.05 ₹293

162.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$13.40 ₹1,286

257.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$4.28 ₹410

131.07%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.63 ₹252

19.01%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.43 ₹41.66

344.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.23 ₹21.90

556.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.12 ₹203

47.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.11 ₹298

84.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$0.72 ₹68.7

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.54 ₹52.1

361.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$0.84 ₹80.2

110.71%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$0.94 ₹90.4

214.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$5.08 ₹488

98.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$2.87 ₹275

252.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.84 ₹177

125.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$0.76 ₹73.2

111.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.08 ₹103

108.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.63 ₹60.6

257.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.32 ₹31.11

537.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.35 ₹33.41

340.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.69 ₹66.5

69.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.30 ₹28.51

336.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.95 ₹475

-21.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$11.58 ₹1,111

20.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.73 ₹166

0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.64 ₹253

8.71%

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

$6.77 ₹649

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.30 ₹28.55

306.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$3.63 ₹348

2117.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.07 ₹103

22.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.24 ₹23.03

812.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$1.59 ₹153

447.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.07 ₹103

28.04%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$12.7K ₹1.2M

119.22%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$25.3K ₹2.4M

41.30%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$44.94 ₹4,311

294.53%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$4.80 ₹460

189.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$7.01 ₹672

323.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$21.31 ₹2,044

110.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$7.99 ₹766

114.27%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$3.09 ₹296

115.21%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$58.7 ₹5,634

1284.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$2,483 ₹238.2K

269.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$26.60 ₹2,552

236.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$25.15 ₹2,413

134.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$57.8 ₹5,546

139.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$43.90 ₹4,212

132.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$170 ₹16.3K

524.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$117 ₹11.2K

468.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$456 ₹43.7K

314.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$283 ₹27.2K

262.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,951 ₹283.1K

41.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,768 ₹169.6K

-5.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$438 ₹42.0K

54.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

36.75%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Chandigarh: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $170 in Chandigarh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 55% 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 $13.00 in Chandigarh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $116 per month, with Chandigarh 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 Chandigarh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chandigarh wins on cost – living expenses run 246% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chandigarh the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 55% 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 $170 in Chandigarh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chandigarh runs roughly 2117% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $58.7 in Chandigarh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $486 in Chandigarh versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chandigarh but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Chandigarh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chandigarh delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $486 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chandigarh hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Chandigarh are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chandigarh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 246% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.