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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $455 in Chandigarh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $739 in Chandigarh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,023 in Chandigarh.

Living in Medellin is roughly 123% more expensive than Chandigarh, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Chandigarh 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$3.16 ₹303

89.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$14.21 ₹1,360

131.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$3.41 ₹327

107.92%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$2.00 ₹192

-14.50%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$0.39 ₹37.50

182.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.20 ₹19.12

290.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$1.71 ₹164

-1.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$2.93 ₹281

4.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$0.77 ₹73.9

41.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$0.58 ₹55.9

117.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$0.90 ₹85.9

53.33%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$1.06 ₹101

106.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$5.45 ₹522

-19.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$3.03 ₹290

85.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$1.99 ₹190

17.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$0.81 ₹78.0

30.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$0.97 ₹93.1

54.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$0.56 ₹54.0

146.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$0.40 ₹37.84

187.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$0.46 ₹43.88

152.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$0.49 ₹46.85

81.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.32 ₹30.38

162.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$4.01 ₹384

-43.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$9.79 ₹936

8.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$1.72 ₹165

-30.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$2.76 ₹264

-10.51%

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

$5.28 ₹506

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.30 ₹28.89

186.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$8.50 ₹814

387.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$0.78 ₹74.6

88.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.24 ₹23.09

716.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$1.30 ₹124

495.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.15 ₹110

-17.39%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$14.5K ₹1.4M

24.91%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$29.0K ₹2.8M

-8.52%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$47.95 ₹4,588

71.53%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$3.47 ₹332

173.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$7.14 ₹683

239.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$19.33 ₹1,850

33.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$10.12 ₹969

87.75%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$2.88 ₹276

36.46%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$61.9 ₹5,925

399.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$1,968 ₹188.4K

203.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$24.50 ₹2,344

139.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$24.07 ₹2,303

34.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$48.81 ₹4,671

110.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$32.30 ₹3,091

235.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$174 ₹16.7K

172.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$104 ₹9,920

265.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$403 ₹38.5K

108.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$271 ₹25.9K

167.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$3,407 ₹326.1K

-18.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$2,069 ₹198.0K

-41.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$435 ₹41.7K

17.57%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chandigarh: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $174 in Chandigarh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 18% 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 $188 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 123% 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.

Medellin pays 18% 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 $174 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 387% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $309 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 $455 in Chandigarh versus $1,013 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 $455 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 123% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.