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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $450 in Chandigarh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $731 in Chandigarh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,012 in Chandigarh.

Living in Medellin is roughly 129% more expensive than in Chandigarh, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Chandigarh 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$3.12 ₹300

97.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$14.08 ₹1,355

131.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$3.53 ₹340

107.93%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$1.98 ₹191

-13.13%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.40 ₹38.41

162.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.20 ₹19.21

285.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$1.78 ₹171

-5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.88 ₹278

10.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$0.77 ₹74.2

36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.57 ₹54.9

128.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$0.82 ₹79.1

70.73%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$1.09 ₹105

98.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$5.49 ₹528

-20.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$2.91 ₹281

102.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$2.05 ₹198

11.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$0.75 ₹72.3

48.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$0.99 ₹95.7

54.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$0.56 ₹54.4

141.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.39 ₹37.80

189.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.45 ₹43.76

151.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.46 ₹43.95

84.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.31 ₹30.32

193.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$4.14 ₹398

-43.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$11.70 ₹1,126

5.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.66 ₹160

-27.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$2.85 ₹275

-12.63%

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

$5.06 ₹487

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$0.28 ₹26.69

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$8.68 ₹835

367.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$0.79 ₹75.7

79.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.24 ₹23.11

700.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$1.31 ₹126

484.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.21 ₹116

-18.18%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$14.8K ₹1.4M

21.96%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$28.9K ₹2.8M

-7.74%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$47.68 ₹4,590

69.48%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$3.34 ₹321

197.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$7.17 ₹690

237.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$19.79 ₹1,905

26.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$10.31 ₹992

85.74%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$2.84 ₹273

40.14%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$61.9 ₹5,956

393.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$1,966 ₹189.3K

208.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$24.88 ₹2,395

133.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$24.03 ₹2,313

34.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$48.63 ₹4,681

107.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$32.59 ₹3,138

230.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$170 ₹16.4K

180.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$104 ₹10.1K

260.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$411 ₹39.5K

105.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$267 ₹25.7K

173.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$3,017 ₹290.5K

6.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,782 ₹171.5K

-22.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$471 ₹45.3K

30.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

8.3

61.81%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Chandigarh: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $170 in Chandigarh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 31% 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 $14.00 in Chandigarh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $119 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 129% 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 31% 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 $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 367% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $61.9 in Chandigarh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $450 in Chandigarh versus $1,031 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 $450 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 129% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.