Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dehradun

For one person, living is cheaper in Dehradun: $504 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Dehradun
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Dehradun Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Dehradun

🇮🇳 India

$504

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Dehradun

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Medellin versus $504 in Dehradun.

Medellin $1,589
Dehradun $504

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,364 in Medellin versus $738 in Dehradun.

Medellin $2,364
Dehradun $738

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,139 in Medellin versus $972 in Dehradun.

Medellin $3,139
Dehradun $972

Living in Medellin is roughly 216% more expensive than in Dehradun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Dehradun is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

$3.17 ₹307

152.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.3K

$10.43 ₹1,009

346.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$3.72 ₹360

153.49%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,277

$1.97 ₹190

47.72%

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

$1.75 COP 5,585

$0.37 ₹35.91

372.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,218

$0.15 ₹14.39

780.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

$1.90 ₹184

64.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

$2.90 ₹281

91.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

$0.68 ₹65.6

107.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$0.49 ₹47.04

397.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

$0.59 ₹57.4

176.27%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

$0.89 ₹85.7

216.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

$5.06 ₹490

91.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$3.25 ₹315

186.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$1.81 ₹175

120.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

$0.74 ₹71.5

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

$0.63 ₹60.9

236.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

$0.43 ₹42.02

423.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

$0.30 ₹29.46

536.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

$0.36 ₹35.14

350.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

$0.49 ₹47.66

134.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

$0.29 ₹28.14

334.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$4.86 ₹471

-21.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

$10.07 ₹974

30.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

$1.45 ₹141

10.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

$2.00 ₹193

13.00%

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

$4.87 ₹471

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

$0.37 ₹35.87

216.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

$12.67 ₹1,227

492.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,056

$1.06 ₹102

19.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,531

$0.32 ₹31.41

540.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

$1.61 ₹155

409.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,046

$1.11 ₹107

14.41%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

$13.0K ₹1.3M

105.63%

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

$34.4K COP 109.6M

$18.0K ₹1.7M

90.69%

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

$162 COP 516.9K

$62.4 ₹6,035

160.12%

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

$3.74 ₹361

250.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

$7.18 ₹694

291.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.2K

$15.97 ₹1,545

177.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.0K

$9.49 ₹918

72.08%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$3.61 ₹349

68.70%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$48.57 ₹4,701

1473.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

$4,254 ₹411.7K

109.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

$24.96 ₹2,416

240.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

$27.39 ₹2,650

109.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

$38.22 ₹3,699

244.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

$38.65 ₹3,740

147.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$218 ₹21.1K

370.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$152 ₹14.7K

298.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

$409 ₹39.6K

340.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$256 ₹24.7K

288.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

$714 ₹69.1K

449.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

$464 ₹44.9K

253.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$361 ₹34.9K

73.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.88

23.20%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Dehradun: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Dehradun

$152 30% 74.9% $453

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Dehradun

$106 20.9% 63.4% $183

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Dehradun

$73 14.5% 64% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Dehradun

$58 11.5% 65.1% $108

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Dehradun

$78 15.3% 53.4% $89

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Dehradun

$17 3.3% 81.5% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Dehradun

$23 4.6% 59% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $218 in Dehradun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 74% 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: $47.00 in Medellin vs $10.00 in Dehradun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $106 per month, with Dehradun cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇳 Dehradun

🕒 Local time

02:36 2:36 AM

13:06 1:06 PM

10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

447,808

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,574 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Dehradun 15,070 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Dehradun

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 Dehradun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dehradun is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 216% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 74% 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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $218 in Dehradun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 173% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Dehradun – a meal for two runs $10.00 versus $47.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $504 in Dehradun versus $1,589 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dehradun but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Dehradun the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dehradun is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Dehradun 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 Dehradun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 216% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.