Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Haldia

For one person, living is cheaper in Haldia: $423 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Haldia, India
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Haldia
🇮🇳 India
$423
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Haldia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $423 in Haldia.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Haldia $423

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $662 in Haldia.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Haldia $662

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $900 in Haldia.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Haldia $900

Living in Medellin is roughly 287% more expensive than in Haldia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Haldia is 69% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Haldia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$3.10 ₹294
160.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$7.84 ₹745
500.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$3.75 ₹356
153.33%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,735
$1.39 ₹132
116.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$0.55 ₹52.5
227.27%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,561
$0.13 ₹11.92
984.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
$1.63 ₹154
95.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$1.65 ₹156
248.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Haldia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,876
$0.64 ₹60.6
135.94%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,678
$0.43 ₹40.81
453.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,720
$0.64 ₹61.1
176.56%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,333
$0.96 ₹91.1
201.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$7.28 ₹691
39.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$2.35 ₹223
320.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$2.09 ₹199
89.95%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,012
$0.69 ₹65.7
124.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,048
$1.54 ₹147
41.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,051
$0.66 ₹62.6
230.30%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,337
$0.35 ₹33.69
460.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,132
$0.50 ₹47.63
218.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,699
$0.49 ₹46.13
134.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$0.30 ₹28.10
313.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$4.90 ₹465
-19.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$12.82 ₹1,217
6.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,359
$1.42 ₹135
16.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,291
$2.97 ₹282
-23.91%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
-
$8.34 ₹792
-
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Haldia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,771
$0.20 ₹19.00
485.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.8K
$7.98 ₹757
869.55%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,094
$1.07 ₹101
18.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,612
$0.27 ₹25.71
659.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$1.62 ₹154
427.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,349
$1.13 ₹107
19.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.0M
$11.4K ₹1.1M
198.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$20.0K ₹1.9M
73.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Haldia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.8K
$45.15 ₹4,287
275.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.8K
$3.45 ₹328
292.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$6.24 ₹593
349.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Haldia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.1K
$16.02 ₹1,521
172.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
$5.60 ₹531
206.96%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$3.21 ₹305
115.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Haldia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$27.14 ₹2,577
2835.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$1,280 ₹121.6K
611.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Haldia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$33.85 ₹3,214
150.28%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.2K
$26.60 ₹2,525
117.89%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.8K
$60.5 ₹5,748
122.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$35.55 ₹3,375
175.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Haldia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$121 ₹11.5K
894.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$76.4 ₹7,256
739.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$271 ₹25.7K
649.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$184 ₹17.5K
448.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
$1,049 ₹99.6K
297.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$588 ₹55.9K
224.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Haldia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
10.25
6.73%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Haldia: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Haldia
$76 88.1% $565
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Haldia
$121 59.3% $176
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Haldia
$55 74% $156
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Haldia
$67 60.6% $103
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Haldia
$70 58.3% $99
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Haldia
$11 88% $82
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Haldia
$22 61% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $121 in Haldia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $8 in Haldia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $121 per month, with Haldia cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇮🇳 Haldia
🕒 Local time
19:09 7:09 PM
05:39 5:39 AM
10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
200,762
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.94 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Haldia 16,400 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Haldia

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 Haldia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Medellin and in Haldia?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $423 in Haldia, so Haldia is about 74% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Medellin compared to Haldia?
You’d need roughly $2,459 in Medellin and $635 in Haldia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Medellin and in Haldia?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $121 in Haldia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Medellin or Haldia?
All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $423 in Haldia – Haldia is about 74% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How do commuting costs compare in Medellin and in Haldia?
A monthly transit pass in Haldia runs roughly 90% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $423 in Haldia versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Haldia but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Haldia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Medellin and Haldia?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Where should expats move: Medellin or Haldia?
Expats usually find Haldia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Medellin vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?