Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chandigarh

For one person, living is cheaper in Chandigarh: $488 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Chandigarh
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Chandigarh Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Chandigarh

🇮🇳 India

$488

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Chandigarh

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $488 in Chandigarh.

Medellin $1,639
Chandigarh $488

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $788 in Chandigarh.

Medellin $2,413
Chandigarh $788

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,088 in Chandigarh.

Medellin $3,186
Chandigarh $1,088

Living in Medellin is roughly 236% more expensive than in Chandigarh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Chandigarh is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$3.20 ₹304

152.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$13.68 ₹1,299

243.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$4.11 ₹390

131.14%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$2.69 ₹256

11.90%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$0.44 ₹41.50

309.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.25 ₹23.78

464.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$2.15 ₹204

47.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$3.17 ₹301

81.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$0.73 ₹69.4

106.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$0.52 ₹49.17

357.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$0.81 ₹77.3

118.52%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$0.91 ₹86.3

217.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$4.93 ₹468

106.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$2.84 ₹270

247.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.64 ₹156

142.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$0.75 ₹70.9

106.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$1.06 ₹101

105.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$0.67 ₹63.8

225.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$0.28 ₹26.54

600.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$0.34 ₹32.38

367.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$0.67 ₹63.4

71.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.30 ₹28.25

313.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.97 ₹472

-20.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$11.43 ₹1,086

19.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$1.67 ₹158

-0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$2.81 ₹266

-19.57%

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

$6.55 ₹622

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.25 ₹23.60

368.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$4.58 ₹435

1589.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$1.08 ₹102

17.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$0.25 ₹23.90

720.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$1.66 ₹158

415.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$1.09 ₹103

23.85%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$11.2K ₹1.1M

203.94%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$25.0K ₹2.4M

38.75%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$38.21 ₹3,628

343.99%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$4.08 ₹388

232.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$6.52 ₹619

330.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$25.72 ₹2,443

69.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$8.08 ₹767

112.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$3.13 ₹298

120.77%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$57.7 ₹5,480

1280.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$2,480 ₹235.5K

267.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$26.87 ₹2,551

215.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$25.26 ₹2,398

129.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$57.6 ₹5,469

134.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$44.40 ₹4,216

120.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$171 ₹16.3K

605.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$127 ₹12.1K

405.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$482 ₹45.8K

320.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$309 ₹29.3K

227.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$1,868 ₹177.4K

123.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,025 ₹97.4K

86.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$437 ₹41.5K

50.38%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chandigarh: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Chandigarh

$127 26% 80.2% $514

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Chandigarh

$113 23.2% 61.9% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Chandigarh

$49 10% 76.9% $162

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Chandigarh

$90 18.5% 46.9% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Chandigarh

$69 14.2% 59% $100

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Chandigarh

$7.9 1.6% 91.5% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Chandigarh

$32 6.6% 44.4% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $171 in Chandigarh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 50% 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: $47 in Medellin vs $14 in Chandigarh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $113 per month, with Chandigarh cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇳 Chandigarh

🕒 Local time

08:31 8:31 AM

19:01 7:01 PM

10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,028,667

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Chandigarh 14,960 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Chandigarh

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 Chandigarh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chandigarh wins on cost – living expenses run 70% 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 50% 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $171 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 94% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $58 in Chandigarh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $488 in Chandigarh versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $800 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 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 Chandigarh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.