Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jhelum Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jhelum

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $324 in Jhelum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $510 in Jhelum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $696 in Jhelum.

Living in Medellin is roughly 218% more expensive than in Jhelum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Jhelum 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$1.73 PKR 481

256.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$10.43 PKR 2,895

212.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$3.61 PKR 1,001

103.32%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.88 PKR 800

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 PKR 1,303

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$1.50 PKR 417

14.67%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.31 PKR 86.0

238.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.24 PKR 67.0

220.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$0.61 PKR 170

72.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.59 PKR 164

120.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.29 PKR 359

8.53%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$1.19 PKR 331

81.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$5.15 PKR 1,431

-14.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$2.44 PKR 679

140.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$3.05 PKR 848

183.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$0.98 PKR 272

132.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$0.58 PKR 162

91.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$0.62 PKR 172

146.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$0.51 PKR 141

164.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.38 PKR 104

197.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.54 PKR 150

109.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.20 PKR 54.4

325.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.24 PKR 66.8

279.17%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.95 PKR 263

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 PKR 189

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 PKR 570

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$0.85 PKR 235

175.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$0.17 PKR 46.33

394.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$7.16 PKR 1,988

466.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.09 PKR 302

30.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.49 PKR 135

291.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$1.74 PKR 482

340.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$0.97 PKR 270

2.06%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$21.7K PKR 6.0M

-16.83%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$21.4K PKR 5.9M

24.46%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$52.2 PKR 14.5K

54.84%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$2.79 PKR 775

256.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$12.93 PKR 3,591

87.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$12.36 PKR 3,433

102.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$5.90 PKR 1,637

224.58%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$3.45 PKR 958

15.36%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$17.80 PKR 4,942

1614.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$1,152 PKR 319.8K

426.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$16.09 PKR 4,469

261.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$22.13 PKR 6,145

45.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$60.1 PKR 16.7K

67.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$25.89 PKR 7,189

316.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$75.5 PKR 21.0K

531.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$51.4 PKR 14.3K

631.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$165 PKR 45.8K

411.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$104 PKR 28.9K

601.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$899 PKR 249.7K

257.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$543 PKR 150.7K

152.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-25.39%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Jhelum: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $75.5 in Jhelum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $10.00 in Jhelum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $78.0 per month, with Jhelum 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 Jhelum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jhelum is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 218% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,546 in Medellin and $487 in Jhelum to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $477 in Medellin versus $75.5 in Jhelum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 147% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Jhelum – a meal for two runs $10.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $324 in Jhelum versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jhelum but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Jhelum the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jhelum 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Jhelum 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 Jhelum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 218% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.