Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Imphal

For one person, living is cheaper in Imphal: $351 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 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
17

Cost of Living Index in Imphal
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Imphal Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Imphal

🇮🇳 India

$351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Imphal

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Medellin versus $351 in Imphal.

Medellin $1,614
Imphal $351

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,402 in Medellin versus $572 in Imphal.

Medellin $2,402
Imphal $572

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Medellin versus $794 in Imphal.

Medellin $3,190
Imphal $794

Living in Medellin is roughly 360% more expensive than in Imphal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Imphal is 74% 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

$8.26 ₹784

458.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$4.54 ₹431

109.25%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$0.70 ₹66.6

344.29%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$0.45 ₹43.10

306.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.18 ₹16.90

666.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$1.03 ₹97.9

196.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$2.95 ₹280

86.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$0.70 ₹66.5

107.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$0.83 ₹78.6

184.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$0.43 ₹40.86

290.70%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$1.24 ₹117

130.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$4.53 ₹430

124.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$2.81 ₹266

239.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$2.58 ₹245

57.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$0.64 ₹60.6

134.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$0.90 ₹85.6

141.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$0.59 ₹56.3

291.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$0.41 ₹38.87

370.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$0.38 ₹35.79

331.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$0.52 ₹49.35

117.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.25 ₹23.81

400.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$5.16 ₹490

-22.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$11.49 ₹1,091

16.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.42 ₹135

19.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$1.37 ₹130

72.99%

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

$5.28 ₹501

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.30 ₹28.02

303.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$7.10 ₹675

977.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$1.03 ₹97.8

28.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.32 ₹30.40

568.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$1.64 ₹156

416.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.14 ₹109

14.04%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$11.6K ₹1.1M

140.64%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$22.3K ₹2.1M

58.83%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$66.1 ₹6,274

160.47%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$3.07 ₹292

335.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$4.93 ₹468

482.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$5.32 ₹505

750.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$1.58 ₹150

978.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$2.62 ₹249

139.69%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$14.21 ₹1,350

5320.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$1,397 ₹132.7K

544.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$20.94 ₹1,989

312.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$20.64 ₹1,960

176.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$31.77 ₹3,017

329.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$31.95 ₹3,034

206.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$88.8 ₹8,432

1088.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$42.45 ₹4,031

1350.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$241 ₹22.9K

683.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$182 ₹17.3K

462.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$424 ₹40.3K

856.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$253 ₹24.0K

563.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$185 ₹17.5K

253.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

14.35

-23.76%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Imphal: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Imphal

$42 12.1% 93.1% $573

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Imphal

$113 32.2% 61.7% $182

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Imphal

$74 21.1% 65.4% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Imphal

$47 13.5% 72.1% $123

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Imphal

$53 15% 68.7% $116

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Imphal

$11 3.1% 88.3% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Imphal

$11 3% 81.7% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Medellin and $88.8 in Imphal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 253% 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 $8.00 in Imphal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $113 per month, with Imphal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇳 Imphal

🕒 Local time

15:59 3:59 PM

02:29 2:29 AM

10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

500,000

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Imphal 16,380 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Imphal

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 Imphal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Imphal differ by about 360% in total monthly costs ($1,614 vs $351 including rent). Imphal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 253% 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 $88.8 in Imphal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 161% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Imphal – a meal for two runs $8.00 versus $46.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $351 in Imphal versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Imphal but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Imphal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Imphal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 360% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.