Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Howrah

For one person, living is cheaper in Howrah: $382 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Howrah
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Howrah Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Howrah

🇮🇳 India

$382

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Howrah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Medellin versus $382 in Howrah.

Medellin $1,614
Howrah $382

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,402 in Medellin versus $505 in Howrah.

Medellin $2,402
Howrah $505

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Medellin versus $628 in Howrah.

Medellin $3,190
Howrah $628

Living in Medellin is roughly 322% more expensive than in Howrah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Howrah is 72% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$2.13 ₹202

272.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$9.29 ₹882

396.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$4.21 ₹400

125.65%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$1.43 ₹136

117.48%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$0.48 ₹46.02

281.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.12 ₹11.05

1050.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$1.59 ₹151

91.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$3.23 ₹307

70.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$0.60 ₹56.6

141.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$0.43 ₹40.82

448.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$0.71 ₹67.0

136.62%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$1.08 ₹103

164.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$5.40 ₹512

88.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$2.59 ₹246

267.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$2.17 ₹206

87.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$0.85 ₹80.7

76.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$1.41 ₹134

53.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$0.62 ₹58.6

272.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$0.30 ₹28.29

543.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$0.41 ₹38.93

300.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$0.34 ₹32.55

232.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.26 ₹24.53

380.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$4.88 ₹463

-18.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$10.62 ₹1,009

25.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.40 ₹133

21.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.72 ₹258

-12.87%

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

$8.58 ₹815

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.16 ₹15.20

656.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$0.60 ₹57.2

120.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.33 ₹30.90

548.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$1.60 ₹152

429.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.07 ₹102

21.50%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$15.6K ₹1.5M

79.49%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$20.0K ₹1.9M

76.82%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$44.85 ₹4,259

283.70%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$3.37 ₹320

296.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$6.41 ₹609

348.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$13.87 ₹1,317

226.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$3.09 ₹294

103.24%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$26.25 ₹2,493

2834.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$1,264 ₹120.1K

612.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$26.57 ₹2,523

225.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$25.65 ₹2,436

122.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$35.19 ₹3,341

287.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$28.40 ₹2,697

244.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$113 ₹10.7K

832.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$77.7 ₹7,379

692.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$354 ₹33.7K

84.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.04

21.02%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Howrah: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Howrah

$78 20.3% 87.4% $538

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Howrah

$111 29.1% 62.3% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Howrah

$55 14.3% 74.5% $160

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Howrah

$52 13.6% 69.4% $118

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Howrah

$64 16.7% 62.2% $105

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Howrah

$2.9 * 0.8% 96.9% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Howrah

$20 5.3% 65.3% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Medellin and $113 in Howrah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 84% 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: $46.00 in Medellin vs $9.00 in Howrah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $111 per month, with Howrah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇳 Howrah

🕒 Local time

03:41 3:41 AM

14:11 2:11 PM

10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,072,161

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Howrah 16,360 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Howrah

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 Howrah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Howrah wins on cost – living expenses run 322% 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 84% 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: $1,055 in Medellin versus $113 in Howrah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $770 in Medellin versus $26.25 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 $9.00 versus $46.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $382 in Howrah versus $1,614 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 $382 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 322% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.