Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Howrah Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Howrah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $375 in Howrah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $501 in Howrah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $627 in Howrah.

Living in Medellin is roughly 358% more expensive than in Howrah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Howrah is 73% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$2.15 ₹203

273.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$9.60 ₹907

402.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$4.26 ₹402

129.34%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$1.39 ₹131

109.35%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$0.47 ₹44.50

312.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.12 ₹11.79

1166.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$1.56 ₹148

98.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$3.17 ₹300

81.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$0.64 ₹60.4

112.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$0.42 ₹39.89

469.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$0.70 ₹65.8

142.86%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$1.03 ₹97.1

178.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$5.29 ₹500

87.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$2.69 ₹254

300.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.10 ₹199

94.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$0.86 ₹81.3

82.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$1.50 ₹142

42.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$0.66 ₹62.2

234.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$0.33 ₹31.46

521.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$0.44 ₹41.32

240.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$0.31 ₹28.92

283.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.28 ₹26.61

314.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$5.18 ₹489

-24.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$10.60 ₹1,001

36.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$1.38 ₹130

14.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$2.70 ₹255

4.81%

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

$8.64 ₹816

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.18 ₹16.91

550.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$0.60 ₹56.7

113.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$0.31 ₹29.08

574.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$1.56 ₹148

452.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.10 ₹104

18.18%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$15.0K ₹1.4M

84.20%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$19.7K ₹1.9M

80.29%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$44.77 ₹4,230

293.28%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$3.55 ₹336

276.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$6.18 ₹584

383.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$14.31 ₹1,352

212.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$3.06 ₹289

102.61%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$26.48 ₹2,502

2896.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$1,283 ₹121.2K

602.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$25.03 ₹2,365

242.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$22.79 ₹2,153

156.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$31.23 ₹2,951

336.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$26.66 ₹2,519

286.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$115 ₹10.8K

822.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$77.3 ₹7,301

779.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$360 ₹34.0K

84.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.27

18.02%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Howrah: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $115 in Howrah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 85% 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 $10.00 in Howrah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $112 per month, with Howrah 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 Howrah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Howrah wins on cost – living expenses run 358% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Howrah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 85% 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 $115 in Howrah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $26.48 in Howrah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Howrah – a meal for two runs $10.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $375 in Howrah versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Howrah but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Howrah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Howrah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $375 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Howrah hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Howrah are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Howrah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 358% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.