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: $1,014 in Medellin versus $501 in Kathmandu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,596 in Medellin versus $782 in Kathmandu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,178 in Medellin versus $1,063 in Kathmandu.

Living in Medellin is roughly 103% more expensive than Kathmandu, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Kathmandu 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 COP 22.1K

$1.78 NPR 266

244.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.05 COP 119.0K

$19.20 NPR 2,862

72.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 COP 26.4K

$6.65 NPR 991

10.08%

Cappuccino

$1.66 COP 5,973

$1.90 NPR 284

-12.63%

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

$1.10 COP 3,978

$0.49 NPR 73.8

124.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,816

$0.15 NPR 22.74

420.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 COP 6,174

$2.55 NPR 380

-32.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 11.4K

$3.62 NPR 540

-12.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 4,003

$0.89 NPR 132

24.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,709

$0.54 NPR 80.8

142.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,969

$0.94 NPR 139

46.81%

Eggs

$2.22 COP 7,992

$1.77 NPR 264

25.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 COP 15.6K

$9.22 NPR 1,375

-52.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.9K

$3.12 NPR 465

85.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 COP 32.3K

$6.05 NPR 902

48.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 COP 8,146

$2.18 NPR 326

3.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,014

$1.09 NPR 162

1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 COP 5,273

$1.25 NPR 187

16.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,918

$0.65 NPR 96.4

110.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,000

$0.49 NPR 72.8

126.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,190

$0.72 NPR 107

61.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,204

$0.50 NPR 74.0

78.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 COP 3,117

$0.25 NPR 36.92

248.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,476

$2.85 NPR 425

-17.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.86 COP 39.1K

$6.66 NPR 993

63.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,321

$2.34 NPR 350

-48.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,927

$3.35 NPR 499

-25.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,836

$0.23 NPR 34.39

243.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.77 COP 146.8K

$10.79 NPR 1,608

277.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 5,125

$2.21 NPR 329

-35.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,885

$1.07 NPR 159

78.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.65 COP 27.6K

$3.67 NPR 546

108.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 COP 3,482

$1.26 NPR 188

-23.02%

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

$18.1K COP 65.2M

$31.7K NPR 4.7M

-42.92%

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

$26.3K COP 94.8M

$41.2K NPR 6.1M

-36.12%

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

$81.3 COP 292.9K

$32.83 NPR 4,894

147.67%

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

$9.63 COP 34.7K

$5.00 NPR 746

92.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.36 COP 87.8K

$9.86 NPR 1,469

147.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.02 COP 93.7K

$21.99 NPR 3,277

18.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 COP 68.1K

$7.17 NPR 1,069

163.88%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 COP 14.0K

$3.32 NPR 494

17.17%

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

$304 COP 1.1M

$93.0 NPR 13.9K

227.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,902 COP 21.3M

$3,703 NPR 552.0K

59.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 211.4K

$24.62 NPR 3,670

138.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.48 COP 117.0K

$27.47 NPR 4,095

18.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 366.5K

$58.3 NPR 8,688

74.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.6K

$40.32 NPR 6,010

168.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 COP 1.7M

$192 NPR 28.6K

146.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$99.7 NPR 14.9K

271.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 COP 3.1M

$347 NPR 51.8K

144.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$189 NPR 28.2K

278.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 COP 10.3M

$2,382 NPR 355.1K

20.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 COP 5.0M

$1,359 NPR 202.6K

1.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 COP 2.0M

$241 NPR 36.0K

124.36%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Kathmandu: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $474 in Medellin and $192 in Kathmandu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 124% 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 in Medellin vs $19 in Kathmandu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $152 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 103% 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 124% 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: $474 in Medellin versus $192 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 $1,014 per month in Medellin versus $501 in Kathmandu – a 103% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $501 in Kathmandu versus $1,014 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 $501 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 103% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.