Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ghaziabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Ghaziabad: $442 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Ghaziabad
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Ghaziabad Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Ghaziabad

🇮🇳 India

$442

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Ghaziabad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $442 in Ghaziabad.

Medellin $1,625
Ghaziabad $442

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $680 in Ghaziabad.

Medellin $2,412
Ghaziabad $680

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $919 in Ghaziabad.

Medellin $3,199
Ghaziabad $919

Living in Medellin is roughly 268% more expensive than in Ghaziabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Ghaziabad is 67% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$3.14 ₹298

164.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$16.02 ₹1,522

192.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$3.62 ₹344

155.25%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$1.83 ₹174

66.67%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.48 ₹45.28

275.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.18 ₹16.74

666.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$2.34 ₹223

38.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$3.77 ₹358

47.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$0.71 ₹67.6

111.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$0.50 ₹47.17

374.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$0.82 ₹77.8

107.32%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$1.09 ₹103

171.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$3.82 ₹362

167.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$3.23 ₹306

201.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$1.51 ₹143

173.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$0.75 ₹71.6

104.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$0.63 ₹59.6

252.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$0.46 ₹43.75

393.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$0.31 ₹29.04

541.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$0.50 ₹47.21

234.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$0.29 ₹27.85

306.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.31 ₹29.35

300.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$3.84 ₹364

0.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$11.63 ₹1,105

18.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$2.18 ₹207

-23.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$4.81 ₹457

-50.10%

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

$5.82 ₹553

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.54 ₹51.4

129.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$15.65 ₹1,486

399.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$0.55 ₹52.4

132.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.20 ₹18.95

975.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$1.82 ₹172

359.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.09 ₹103

23.85%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$11.5K ₹1.1M

203.35%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$19.2K ₹1.8M

80.48%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$50.6 ₹4,803

229.48%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$3.44 ₹326

295.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$9.03 ₹857

222.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$16.49 ₹1,565

173.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$4.93 ₹468

248.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$2.64 ₹251

164.02%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$83.8 ₹7,960

842.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$1,545 ₹146.7K

485.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$25.18 ₹2,391

248.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$23.29 ₹2,212

149.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$49.15 ₹4,668

182.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$29.88 ₹2,838

230.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$137 ₹13.0K

649.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$85.7 ₹8,138

622.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$301 ₹28.6K

525.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$162 ₹15.4K

521.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$1,075 ₹102.1K

270.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$728 ₹69.1K

133.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$389 ₹37.0K

70.44%

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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ghaziabad: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Ghaziabad

$86 19.4% 86.2% $534

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Ghaziabad

$115 26% 61.5% $183

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Ghaziabad

$63 14.3% 69.9% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Ghaziabad

$57 13% 66.8% $115

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Ghaziabad

$80 18.1% 53.3% $91

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Ghaziabad

$19 4.4% 79.7% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Ghaziabad

$22 4.9% 63.1% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $137 in Ghaziabad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 70% 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 $16.00 in Ghaziabad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $115 per month, with Ghaziabad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇳 Ghaziabad

🕒 Local time

06:38 6:38 AM

17:08 5:08 PM

10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,729,000

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Ghaziabad 15,170 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Ghaziabad

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 Ghaziabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ghaziabad is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 268% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 70% 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 $137 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 $47.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,625 per month in Medellin versus $442 in Ghaziabad – a 268% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $442 in Ghaziabad versus $1,625 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 268% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.