Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kalyani Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kalyani

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $306 in Kalyani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $482 in Kalyani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $657 in Kalyani.

Living in Medellin is roughly 449% more expensive than in Kalyani, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Kalyani is 78% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 24.9K

$2.10 ₹201

281.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 148.7K

$15.40 ₹1,472

210.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.7K

$4.19 ₹400

136.04%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,725

$1.58 ₹151

98.10%

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

$1.91 COP 5,929

$0.47 ₹44.89

306.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,692

$0.13 ₹12.40

1061.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,705

$1.83 ₹174

70.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.19 ₹305

80.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,490

$0.70 ₹67.2

105.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,726

$0.42 ₹39.98

492.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,511

$0.58 ₹55.1

205.17%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,196

$0.90 ₹86.3

228.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.3K

$5.28 ₹504

90.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.4K

$2.45 ₹234

313.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.4K

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.47 ₹236

67.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 4,997

$0.51 ₹48.40

215.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 6,977

$0.61 ₹58.5

268.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 6,998

$0.56 ₹53.2

301.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,348

$0.29 ₹27.87

603.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,770

$0.42 ₹40.10

266.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,636

$0.30 ₹28.58

290.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,060

$0.27 ₹25.87

385.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.1K

$3.69 ₹353

5.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.5K

$7.71 ₹737

81.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,416

$1.47 ₹141

18.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,918

$2.81 ₹269

2.14%

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

$6.77 ₹647

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,776

$0.18 ₹16.90

577.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 250.1K

$2.66 ₹254

2925.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,067

$0.60 ₹57.7

118.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,796

$0.10 ₹9.34

2090.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.1K

$1.60 ₹153

444.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,241

$1.12 ₹107

22.32%

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

$27.8K COP 86.5M

$14.3K ₹1.4M

94.63%

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

$35.8K COP 111.2M

$21.2K ₹2.0M

68.58%

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

$177 COP 550.9K

$56.0 ₹5,346

216.89%

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

$13.88 COP 43.1K

$3.12 ₹298

344.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.4K

$4.31 ₹412

589.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 139.5K

$8.77 ₹838

411.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.2K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$2.30 ₹220

189.13%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$19.34 ₹1,848

4103.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.5M

$789 ₹75.4K

1063.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 278.1K

$14.96 ₹1,429

498.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 183.2K

$21.92 ₹2,095

169.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 429.4K

$32.77 ₹3,131

321.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 317.3K

$26.54 ₹2,536

284.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$50.3 ₹4,801

2013.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$20.59 ₹1,967

3119.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$146 ₹14.0K

1192.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$47.82 ₹4,569

2047.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$300 ₹28.7K

125.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

7.5

45.87%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Kalyani: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $50.3 in Kalyani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 126% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $15.00 in Kalyani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $100 per month, with Kalyani 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 Kalyani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kalyani is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 449% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 126% 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $50.3 in Kalyani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kalyani – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $306 in Kalyani – a 449% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $306 in Kalyani versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kalyani but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kalyani the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kalyani 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 Kalyani 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 Kalyani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 449% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.