Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dhanbad

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhanbad: $304 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 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
15

Cost of Living Index in Dhanbad
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Dhanbad Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Dhanbad

🇮🇳 India

$304

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Dhanbad

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $304 in Dhanbad, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Dhanbad $304

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $482 in Dhanbad, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Dhanbad $482

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $659 in Dhanbad, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Dhanbad $659

Medellin costs about 431% more than Dhanbad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Dhanbad is 77% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$1.54 ₹146

414.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$9.53 ₹905

384.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$3.21 ₹305

195.95%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$1.33 ₹126

133.83%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$0.36 ₹34.10

408.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.13 ₹12.35

961.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$1.92 ₹182

58.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$4.22 ₹401

30.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$0.58 ₹54.7

150.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$0.43 ₹40.62

448.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$0.54 ₹50.9

211.11%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$0.90 ₹85.2

217.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$3.57 ₹339

185.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$2.27 ₹215

319.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$1.40 ₹133

190.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$0.72 ₹68.2

108.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$1.05 ₹99.6

106.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$0.41 ₹39.29

463.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$0.21 ₹19.85

819.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$0.43 ₹40.82

281.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$0.47 ₹44.52

140.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.26 ₹24.58

380.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$5.04 ₹479

-20.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$3.06 ₹290

336.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.54 ₹146

10.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.10 ₹200

12.86%

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

$6.55 ₹622

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.20 ₹18.99

505.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$1.33 ₹127

-0.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.09 ₹8.59

2277.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$1.04 ₹98.5

714.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.06 ₹100

22.64%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$8,382 ₹796.0K

233.91%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$27.8K ₹2.6M

27.23%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$45.69 ₹4,339

276.65%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$2.83 ₹269

372.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$6.31 ₹599

355.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$11.29 ₹1,073

300.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$6.39 ₹607

166.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$2.58 ₹245

143.41%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$29.84 ₹2,833

2481.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$1,203 ₹114.3K

648.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$23.33 ₹2,215

270.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$28.72 ₹2,727

98.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$38.99 ₹3,703

250.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$24.13 ₹2,291

305.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$59.4 ₹5,640

1676.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$40.80 ₹3,874

1409.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$166 ₹15.8K

1038.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$107 ₹10.2K

853.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$1,564 ₹148.5K

159.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$383 ₹36.4K

70.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

21.56%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dhanbad: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Dhanbad

$41 13.4% 93.4% $575

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Dhanbad

$80 26.3% 72.9% $215

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Dhanbad

$55 18% 74.4% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Dhanbad

$52 17% 69.5% $118

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Dhanbad

$58 19% 65.6% $111

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Dhanbad

$2.6 * 0.9% 97.2% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Dhanbad

$16 5.4% 71.5% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $59.4 in Dhanbad. 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 70% 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $10.00 in Dhanbad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $80.0 – making Dhanbad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇳 Dhanbad

🕒 Local time

20:37 8:37 PM

07:07 7:07 AM

10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,162,472

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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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Between locations

Medellin Dhanbad 16,150 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Dhanbad

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 Dhanbad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 431%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $456 in Dhanbad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $304 in Dhanbad. That's a gap of about 431%.

Kindergarten costs $770 per month in Medellin and $29.84 in Dhanbad. 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 Dhanbad, where all-in costs run around $304, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Dhanbad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Dhanbad. 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.