Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Delhi

For one person, living is cheaper in Delhi: $536 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Delhi, India
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Delhi
🇮🇳 India
$536
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Delhi

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $536 in Delhi, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Delhi $536

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $901 in Delhi, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Delhi $901

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,266 in Delhi, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Delhi $1,266

Medellin costs about 206% more than Delhi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Delhi is 61% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Delhi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$3.66 ₹348
121.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.7K
$20.76 ₹1,971
126.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.6K
$3.74 ₹355
154.01%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,722
$2.48 ₹236
21.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,801
$0.38 ₹36.11
373.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,554
$0.17 ₹15.81
729.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.2K
$2.04 ₹194
55.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.5K
$3.07 ₹292
87.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Delhi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,869
$0.70 ₹66.2
115.71%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,667
$0.52 ₹49.11
357.69%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,712
$0.82 ₹78.0
115.85%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,320
$1.17 ₹111
147.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$4.31 ₹410
136.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.8K
$3.36 ₹319
193.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.1K
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$1.96 ₹186
102.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,005
$0.74 ₹70.4
109.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,039
$0.99 ₹93.9
120.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,041
$0.49 ₹46.59
344.90%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,328
$0.29 ₹27.21
575.86%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,125
$0.41 ₹38.52
287.80%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,694
$0.44 ₹41.83
161.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,009
$0.31 ₹29.72
300.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$5.03 ₹478
-21.27%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.1K
$8.37 ₹794
63.44%
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 ₹267
-19.57%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
-
$6.64 ₹631
-
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Delhi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,766
$0.41 ₹38.47
185.37%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.5K
$15.60 ₹1,481
395.96%
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 ₹23.67
720.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$1.57 ₹149
444.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,343
$1.11 ₹105
21.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 109.8M
$11.1K ₹1.0M
208.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.8M
$19.6K ₹1.9M
76.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Delhi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.0K
$43.87 ₹4,166
286.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.7K
$4.27 ₹406
217.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.5K
$6.82 ₹647
311.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Delhi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 140.9K
$26.06 ₹2,474
67.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.4K
$8.09 ₹768
112.48%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$5.34 ₹507
29.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Delhi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$100 ₹9,507
695.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$2,288 ₹217.2K
298.26%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Delhi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.2K
$24.84 ₹2,359
241.06%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 186.9K
$29.18 ₹2,771
98.63%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.2K
$53.2 ₹5,048
153.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 315.6K
$44.74 ₹4,248
118.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Delhi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$277 ₹26.3K
336.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$159 ₹15.1K
304.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$798 ₹75.8K
153.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$420 ₹39.8K
141.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.4M
$2,558 ₹242.9K
63.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$1,172 ₹111.3K
63.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Delhi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$598 ₹56.8K
9.80%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
8.35
31.02%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Delhi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Delhi
$159 75.3% $483
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Delhi
$108 63.5% $189
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Delhi
$55 74% $156
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Delhi
$89 47.6% $81
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Delhi
$68 59.5% $101
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Delhi
$20 79.1% $74
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Delhi
$37 36.1% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $277 in Delhi. 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 10% 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 in Medellin versus $21 in Delhi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $108 – making Delhi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇮🇳 Delhi
🕒 Local time
05:50 5:50 AM
16:20 4:20 PM
10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
16,787,941 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Delhi 15,160 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Delhi

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 Delhi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Medellin and in Delhi compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $536 in Delhi – Delhi comes out roughly 67% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Medellin compared to Delhi?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $803 in Delhi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Medellin and Delhi?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Delhi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $277 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $21 in Delhi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Medellin or Delhi?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $536 in Delhi. That makes Delhi about 67% cheaper.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Delhi, where all-in costs run around $536, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Delhi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Medellin or Delhi?
Families tend to lean toward Delhi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Medellin and Delhi?
If budget matters most, go with Delhi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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