Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kathmandu Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kathmandu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $497 in Kathmandu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $791 in Kathmandu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,084 in Kathmandu.

Living in Medellin is roughly 104% more expensive than Kathmandu, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Kathmandu 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 21.4K

$1.79 NPR 274

232.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 119.6K

$18.80 NPR 2,878

77.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 26.0K

$6.68 NPR 1,023

8.23%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,848

$1.92 NPR 294

-15.10%

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

$1.09 COP 3,929

$0.50 NPR 76.4

118.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,621

$0.19 NPR 29.23

284.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,237

$2.60 NPR 398

-33.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.6K

$3.72 NPR 569

-13.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,766

$0.89 NPR 136

17.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,643

$0.55 NPR 84.3

134.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,748

$1.01 NPR 155

30.69%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 8,152

$1.79 NPR 274

26.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.6K

$9.18 NPR 1,406

-52.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 21.1K

$3.26 NPR 499

80.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.9K

$6.23 NPR 955

38.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 8,066

$2.20 NPR 337

2.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,839

$1.09 NPR 167

-1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,473

$1.24 NPR 190

22.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 5,105

$0.64 NPR 98.5

121.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,199

$0.48 NPR 72.8

143.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,193

$0.72 NPR 110

62.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,183

$0.52 NPR 79.8

71.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,235

$0.27 NPR 41.67

233.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 8,059

$2.93 NPR 448

-23.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 39.6K

$7.90 NPR 1,210

39.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 4,089

$2.29 NPR 351

-50.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,537

$3.34 NPR 512

-28.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,998

$0.21 NPR 32.01

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 150.6K

$11.00 NPR 1,685

281.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 5,051

$2.24 NPR 343

-37.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,823

$1.07 NPR 163

77.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.8K

$3.54 NPR 542

118.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,608

$1.27 NPR 195

-20.47%

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

$17.6K COP 63.1M

$31.4K NPR 4.8M

-44.02%

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

$26.5K COP 95.1M

$40.5K NPR 6.2M

-34.61%

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

$83.7 COP 300.3K

$33.35 NPR 5,106

150.91%

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

$9.45 COP 33.9K

$4.74 NPR 726

99.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 86.5K

$9.57 NPR 1,466

151.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 90.8K

$22.34 NPR 3,421

13.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 68.7K

$7.19 NPR 1,101

166.20%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.7K

$3.21 NPR 492

27.73%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$92.3 NPR 14.1K

238.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 21.5M

$3,802 NPR 582.2K

57.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 208.3K

$24.77 NPR 3,792

134.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 116.9K

$28.44 NPR 4,355

14.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 357.6K

$57.4 NPR 8,789

73.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 389.6K

$39.43 NPR 6,037

175.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$195 NPR 29.9K

146.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$99.1 NPR 15.2K

282.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 3.0M

$346 NPR 52.9K

142.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.6M

$184 NPR 28.2K

292.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 10.2M

$2,286 NPR 350.1K

24.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.4M

$1,329 NPR 203.4K

-7.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$278 NPR 42.6K

94.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

12.08

11.18%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Kathmandu: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $195 in Kathmandu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 94% 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 $19.00 in Kathmandu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $156 per month, with Kathmandu 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 Kathmandu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kathmandu wins on cost – living expenses run 104% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kathmandu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Medellin pays 94% 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: $482 in Medellin versus $195 in Kathmandu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kathmandu – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,017 per month in Medellin versus $497 in Kathmandu – a 104% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $497 in Kathmandu versus $1,017 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kathmandu but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kathmandu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kathmandu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $497 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kathmandu hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Kathmandu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 104% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.