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: $1,034 in Medellin versus $401 in Itanagar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $636 in Itanagar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $871 in Itanagar.

Living in Medellin is roughly 158% more expensive than Itanagar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$1.44 ₹137

311.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$10.43 ₹990

214.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$5.90 ₹560

22.03%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.71 ₹162

-0.58%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.36 ₹34.62

205.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.15 ₹14.49

380.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.36 ₹129

22.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$3.18 ₹302

-2.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$0.75 ₹71.6

41.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.36 ₹34.56

247.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$0.57 ₹54.3

143.86%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$0.92 ₹87.1

145.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$4.55 ₹432

-4.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$3.28 ₹312

78.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.86 ₹176

20.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$0.70 ₹66.6

54.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$0.89 ₹84.8

71.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$0.79 ₹74.7

73.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.29 ₹27.28

289.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.38 ₹36.26

194.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.39 ₹37.04

117.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.28 ₹26.47

225.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$4.13 ₹392

-43.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$7.37 ₹699

51.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.49 ₹142

-20.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.89 ₹275

-17.99%

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

$4.27 ₹405

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.28 ₹26.53

182.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$8.47 ₹805

385.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$0.82 ₹77.7

75.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.26 ₹24.88

634.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$1.49 ₹142

438.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.11 ₹105

-15.32%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$13.9K ₹1.3M

28.71%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$18.3K ₹1.7M

46.74%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$40.49 ₹3,844

107.36%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$3.36 ₹319

185.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$5.70 ₹541

323.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$23.31 ₹2,214

11.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$6.90 ₹655

175.94%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$2.93 ₹279

33.79%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$32.87 ₹3,120

832.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$507 ₹48.1K

1067.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$25.36 ₹2,408

128.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$35.19 ₹3,341

-9.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$45.76 ₹4,345

118.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$43.08 ₹4,090

148.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$125 ₹11.9K

289.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$77.0 ₹7,310

378.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$269 ₹25.6K

206.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$181 ₹17.2K

295.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$317 ₹30.1K

71.94%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Itanagar: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $125 in Itanagar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 72% 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 $10.00 in Itanagar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $103 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 158% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Medellin pays 72% more on average, 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: $487 in Medellin versus $125 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 386% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $306 in Medellin versus $32.87 in Itanagar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $401 in Itanagar versus $1,034 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 158% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.