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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $498 in Kathmandu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $797 in Kathmandu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,097 in Kathmandu.

Living in Medellin is roughly 238% more expensive than in Kathmandu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Kathmandu is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$1.94 NPR 297

313.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$20.02 NPR 3,072

139.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$7.97 NPR 1,223

24.09%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.53 NPR 235

104.58%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.56 NPR 86.3

241.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.14 NPR 20.95

978.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$3.29 NPR 505

-5.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.58 NPR 550

60.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$0.76 NPR 117

89.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.58 NPR 89.4

329.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$0.90 NPR 139

96.67%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.67 NPR 257

77.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$7.44 NPR 1,141

35.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$3.35 NPR 514

202.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$6.02 NPR 923

137.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.09 NPR 321

98.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.14 NPR 175

41.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.36 NPR 208

65.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.56 NPR 86.1

301.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.42 NPR 64.2

385.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.50 NPR 76.4

208.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.45 NPR 68.9

160.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.23 NPR 35.29

469.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.65 NPR 407

47.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$7.96 NPR 1,221

76.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$2.30 NPR 352

-24.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$3.02 NPR 463

-4.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.20 NPR 31.02

510.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$9.67 NPR 1,483

732.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.93 NPR 296

-32.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.33 NPR 204

64.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$3.23 NPR 496

169.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.37 NPR 210

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$29.1K NPR 4.5M

-4.43%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$36.8K NPR 5.6M

-2.83%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$31.27 NPR 4,798

467.00%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$3.45 NPR 530

302.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$8.05 NPR 1,235

269.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$21.88 NPR 3,357

105.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$6.99 NPR 1,073

144.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$2.93 NPR 450

126.96%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$66.8 NPR 10.2K

1117.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$4,792 NPR 735.3K

91.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$26.66 NPR 4,091

235.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$28.20 NPR 4,327

109.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$64.9 NPR 9,961

112.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$29.52 NPR 4,530

245.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$223 NPR 34.2K

376.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$101 NPR 15.5K

557.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$435 NPR 66.7K

334.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$205 NPR 31.4K

401.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,281 NPR 350.0K

83.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,342 NPR 205.9K

24.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$271 NPR 41.6K

150.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.72

12.55%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Kathmandu: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $223 in Kathmandu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 150% 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 $20.00 in Kathmandu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $147 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 238% 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.

Average pay runs 150% 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 $223 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 $20.00 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 $498 in Kathmandu – a 238% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $498 in Kathmandu versus $1,681 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 $498 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 238% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.