Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dhulikhel Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dhulikhel

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $402 in Dhulikhel, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $663 in Dhulikhel, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $924 in Dhulikhel, rent included.

Medellin costs about 157% more than Dhulikhel, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Dhulikhel are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Dhulikhel 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.5K

$1.77 NPR 269

234.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 119.1K

$18.90 NPR 2,862

73.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.2K

$6.41 NPR 970

12.32%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,186

$1.54 NPR 232

10.39%

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

$1.10 COP 3,996

$0.55 NPR 82.6

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,625

$0.17 NPR 25.14

323.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,067

$2.64 NPR 399

-36.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.3K

$3.54 NPR 536

-12.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,837

$0.80 NPR 122

32.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,531

$0.55 NPR 83.9

127.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,060

$0.81 NPR 123

71.60%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,229

$1.67 NPR 253

35.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.8K

$7.61 NPR 1,153

-43.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.2K

$3.22 NPR 488

81.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 32.1K

$6.29 NPR 952

40.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,159

$2.26 NPR 343

-0.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,911

$1.10 NPR 166

-1.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,563

$1.24 NPR 188

23.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,987

$0.70 NPR 106

95.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,109

$0.46 NPR 69.3

145.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,067

$0.68 NPR 103

64.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,080

$0.53 NPR 80.6

60.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,305

$0.27 NPR 40.91

237.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,477

$2.97 NPR 450

-21.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,342

$2.34 NPR 354

-49.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,617

$3.32 NPR 502

-28.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,859

$0.20 NPR 30.68

295.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,223

$2.12 NPR 321

-32.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,952

$0.81 NPR 123

135.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 29.2K

$3.74 NPR 566

114.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,410

$1.24 NPR 188

-24.19%

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

$17.9K COP 65.2M

$31.4K NPR 4.8M

-42.99%

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

$26.8K COP 97.4M

$40.8K NPR 6.2M

-34.28%

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

$84.0 COP 305.4K

$26.75 NPR 4,050

213.87%

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

$9.60 COP 34.9K

$4.84 NPR 732

98.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.9K

$9.48 NPR 1,435

154.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 94.1K

$17.92 NPR 2,712

44.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 69.3K

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.2K

$2.77 NPR 419

41.52%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$72.8 NPR 11.0K

320.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.5M

$2,793 NPR 422.8K

111.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 210.6K

$25.27 NPR 3,825

129.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 115.7K

$28.13 NPR 4,259

13.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 363.3K

$46.06 NPR 6,974

116.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 389.7K

$29.13 NPR 4,410

267.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$103 NPR 15.6K

373.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$63.9 NPR 9,666

476.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$204 NPR 30.8K

305.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$145 NPR 21.9K

393.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

12.08

11.18%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Dhulikhel: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Medellin versus $103 in Dhulikhel. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $19.00 in Dhulikhel. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $134 – making Dhulikhel the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Dhulikhel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 157%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,550 per month in Medellin and $603 in Dhulikhel. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $19.00 in Dhulikhel. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dhulikhel, where all-in costs run around $402, than in Medellin at $1,034. In Dhulikhel it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dhulikhel – 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 Dhulikhel. 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.