Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chengalpattu

For one person, living is cheaper in Chengalpattu: $341 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
16

Cost of Living Index in Chengalpattu
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Chengalpattu Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Chengalpattu

🇮🇳 India

$341

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Chengalpattu

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $341 in Chengalpattu, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Chengalpattu $341

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $531 in Chengalpattu, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Chengalpattu $531

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $721 in Chengalpattu, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Chengalpattu $721

Medellin costs about 376% more than Chengalpattu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Chengalpattu is 75% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$1.03 ₹97.7

705.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$9.24 ₹878

407.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$2.97 ₹282

211.11%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$1.67 ₹158

82.63%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.41 ₹39.05

339.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.20 ₹18.97

590.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$1.84 ₹174

76.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$2.98 ₹283

86.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$0.66 ₹62.7

127.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$0.45 ₹42.65

426.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$0.53 ₹50.3

220.75%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$0.96 ₹91.1

208.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$4.38 ₹416

133.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$2.80 ₹266

247.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$1.83 ₹174

125.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$0.64 ₹60.5

139.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$0.95 ₹90.0

133.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$0.45 ₹42.62

404.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$0.32 ₹30.13

521.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$0.40 ₹37.54

317.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$0.46 ₹43.97

156.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.31 ₹29.77

300.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$5.13 ₹487

-24.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$4.16 ₹395

231.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$2.07 ₹197

-19.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$3.04 ₹288

-21.05%

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

$3.34 ₹317

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.25 ₹23.46

396.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$7.06 ₹671

1007.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$0.88 ₹83.5

45.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.25 ₹23.68

760.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$1.61 ₹153

419.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.08 ₹103

25.00%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$12.4K ₹1.2M

180.22%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$19.4K ₹1.8M

79.00%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$34.67 ₹3,292

380.67%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$3.38 ₹321

302.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$6.68 ₹634

335.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$14.69 ₹1,395

206.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$4.80 ₹455

257.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$2.98 ₹283

133.89%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$47.19 ₹4,481

1574.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$1,428 ₹135.6K

533.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$21.59 ₹2,050

306.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$23.24 ₹2,207

150.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$38.95 ₹3,699

256.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$28.68 ₹2,723

244.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$96.8 ₹9,190

962.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$65.0 ₹6,177

852.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$185 ₹17.6K

915.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$137 ₹13.0K

637.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$713 ₹67.7K

459.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$454 ₹43.1K

274.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$580 ₹55.1K

14.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.75

25.03%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chengalpattu: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Chengalpattu

$65 19.1% 89.5% $554

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Chengalpattu

$95 27.9% 68% $203

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Chengalpattu

$45 13.1% 78.6% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Chengalpattu

$51 14.8% 70.7% $122

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Chengalpattu

$55 16% 67.9% $116

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Chengalpattu

$10 3% 89.3% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Chengalpattu

$21 6.1% 65% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $96.8 in Chengalpattu. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 14% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $9.00 in Chengalpattu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $95.0 – making Chengalpattu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇳 Chengalpattu

🕒 Local time

12:17 12:17 PM

22:47 10:47 PM

10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

65,689

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 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 October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Chengalpattu 16,590 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Chengalpattu

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 Chengalpattu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 376%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $512 in Chengalpattu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chengalpattu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 1008% less in Chengalpattu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $790 per month in Medellin and $47.19 in Chengalpattu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Chengalpattu, where all-in costs run around $341, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Chengalpattu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chengalpattu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Chengalpattu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.