Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Itanagar Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Itanagar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,028 in Medellin versus $395 in Itanagar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $629 in Itanagar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $863 in Itanagar.

Living in Medellin is roughly 160% more expensive than in Itanagar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Itanagar 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$1.43 ₹135

319.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.9K

$10.52 ₹992

212.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.5K

$5.76 ₹543

28.82%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,675

$1.65 ₹156

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

$1.07 COP 3,673

$0.36 ₹34.24

197.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,614

$0.14 ₹13.44

442.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,925

$1.38 ₹130

24.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$3.23 ₹305

-0.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,607

$0.71 ₹66.9

47.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,492

$0.34 ₹31.73

285.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,604

$0.58 ₹54.8

131.03%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,543

$0.98 ₹92.8

123.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.2K

$4.48 ₹423

-1.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.6K

$3.33 ₹314

70.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.3K

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,046

$1.87 ₹176

25.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,815

$0.69 ₹65.4

60.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,225

$0.89 ₹84.2

70.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,694

$0.79 ₹74.1

73.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,962

$0.31 ₹29.48

270.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,055

$0.38 ₹36.31

210.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,893

$0.36 ₹34.20

133.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,940

$0.30 ₹28.70

186.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,776

$4.15 ₹392

-45.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.9K

$4.84 ₹456

139.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,121

$1.47 ₹139

-18.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,508

$2.76 ₹260

-10.14%

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

$4.45 ₹420

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,729

$0.28 ₹26.33

182.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 140.4K

$8.97 ₹846

355.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,038

$0.76 ₹71.9

93.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,587

$0.26 ₹24.70

638.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.7K

$1.44 ₹135

439.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,474

$1.12 ₹105

-9.82%

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

$17.7K COP 60.7M

$14.1K ₹1.3M

25.43%

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

$26.5K COP 90.9M

$17.7K ₹1.7M

49.81%

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

$81.1 COP 278.8K

$40.34 ₹3,805

101.04%

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

$9.43 COP 32.4K

$3.35 ₹316

181.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 82.0K

$5.74 ₹542

315.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.4K

$23.42 ₹2,209

10.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.3K

$7.07 ₹667

164.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.1K

$2.97 ₹280

37.71%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$32.42 ₹3,058

870.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.7M

$503 ₹47.4K

1097.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 205.2K

$25.17 ₹2,374

137.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.9K

$36.19 ₹3,414

-11.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 347.9K

$46.97 ₹4,430

115.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 361.3K

$43.07 ₹4,063

144.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$124 ₹11.7K

290.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$77.6 ₹7,319

370.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$277 ₹26.1K

198.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$177 ₹16.7K

312.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

$318 ₹30.0K

72.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

7.38

81.98%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Itanagar: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $124 in Itanagar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 73% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $11.00 in Itanagar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $97.0 per month, with Itanagar 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 Itanagar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Itanagar is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 160% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 73% 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: $485 in Medellin versus $124 in Itanagar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Itanagar runs roughly 355% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $315 in Medellin versus $32.42 in Itanagar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $395 in Itanagar versus $1,028 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Itanagar but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Itanagar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Itanagar 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 Itanagar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 160% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.