Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ghaziabad Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ghaziabad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $445 in Ghaziabad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $680 in Ghaziabad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $915 in Ghaziabad.

Living in Medellin is roughly 286% more expensive than in Ghaziabad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Ghaziabad is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$3.20 ₹303

150.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$16.08 ₹1,520

200.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$3.63 ₹343

169.15%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$1.76 ₹166

65.34%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$0.45 ₹42.20

331.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.16 ₹15.19

850.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$2.34 ₹221

32.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$3.60 ₹341

59.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$0.71 ₹67.0

91.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$0.51 ₹48.07

368.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$0.82 ₹77.3

107.32%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$1.09 ₹103

163.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$3.75 ₹354

165.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$3.22 ₹304

234.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.53 ₹145

167.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$0.68 ₹64.5

130.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$0.68 ₹64.3

213.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$0.43 ₹40.83

413.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$0.34 ₹31.69

502.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$0.48 ₹45.78

212.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$0.27 ₹25.18

340.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.31 ₹29.06

274.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.04 ₹382

-3.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$11.48 ₹1,085

25.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$2.11 ₹199

-25.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$4.64 ₹438

-39.01%

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

$5.64 ₹533

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.55 ₹52.1

112.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$15.51 ₹1,465

401.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$0.51 ₹48.59

150.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$0.20 ₹18.86

945.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$1.89 ₹178

356.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.08 ₹102

20.37%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$12.7K ₹1.2M

116.96%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$19.0K ₹1.8M

86.83%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$50.5 ₹4,770

248.79%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$3.32 ₹313

302.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$9.12 ₹862

227.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$16.34 ₹1,544

173.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$4.77 ₹451

257.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$2.70 ₹255

129.63%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$82.6 ₹7,801

860.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$1,575 ₹148.8K

472.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$25.59 ₹2,417

234.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$23.88 ₹2,256

144.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$48.73 ₹4,604

179.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$29.72 ₹2,808

246.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$138 ₹13.0K

669.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$85.8 ₹8,108

691.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$294 ₹27.8K

583.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$167 ₹15.7K

601.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$1,087 ₹102.7K

278.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$731 ₹69.1K

132.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$379 ₹35.9K

75.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.21

18.78%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ghaziabad: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $138 in Ghaziabad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 75% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $16.00 in Ghaziabad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $113 per month, with Ghaziabad cheaper across the board.

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 Ghaziabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ghaziabad is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 286% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 75% 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $138 in Ghaziabad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ghaziabad – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,716 per month in Medellin versus $445 in Ghaziabad – a 286% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $445 in Ghaziabad versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ghaziabad but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ghaziabad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ghaziabad 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.

Expats usually find Ghaziabad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 286% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.