Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kanglung

For one person, living is cheaper in Kanglung: $103 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Kanglung

🇧🇹 Bhutan

$103

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kanglung

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $103 in Kanglung.

Medellin $1,639
Kanglung $103

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $170 in Kanglung.

Medellin $2,413
Kanglung $170

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $237 in Kanglung.

Medellin $3,186
Kanglung $237

Living in Medellin is roughly 1499% more expensive than in Kanglung, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Kanglung is 92% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 149.0K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,550

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

$1.80 COP 5,699

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,474

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.1K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,783

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,532

$0.49 BTN 46.38

385.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,611

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,155

$1.23 BTN 117

134.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$2.18 BTN 208

367.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.3K

$2.14 BTN 204

361.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

$2.26 BTN 215

519.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$2.18 BTN 207

82.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,916

$2.16 BTN 206

-28.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,914

$2.14 BTN 204

1.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,917

$2.26 BTN 216

-3.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,217

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,034

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,628

$0.98 BTN 93.7

17.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,938

$0.97 BTN 92.9

27.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.6K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,257

$1.46 BTN 139

13.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,152

$1.01 BTN 96.5

123.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,699

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 245.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,017

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,486

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,266

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

$34.1K COP 107.9M

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

$34.7K COP 109.8M

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

$170 COP 537.4K

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.9K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

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

$797 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.3K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.6K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.5K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kanglung: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Kanglung

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Kanglung

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Kanglung

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Kanglung

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Kanglung

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Kanglung

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Kanglung

–

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇹 Kanglung

🕒 Local time

01:22 1:22 AM

12:22 12:22 PM

11 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Bhutanese Ngultrum BTN Nu.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR

1,000 BTN = 10.49 USD

1,000 BTN = 9.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BTN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 3,167 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,530 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

Bhutanese Ngultrum exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 95.29 BTN (100 BTN = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 BTN (1,000 BTN = 9.42 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Kanglung 16,040 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Kanglung

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 Kanglung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $103 in Kanglung, so Kanglung is about 94% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,459 in Medellin and $154 in Kanglung 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 190% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $103 in Kanglung – Kanglung is about 94% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $103 in Kanglung versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Kanglung but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kanglung 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.