Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kawasoti Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kawasoti

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $330 in Kawasoti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $536 in Kawasoti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $742 in Kawasoti.

Living in Medellin is roughly 397% more expensive than in Kawasoti, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Kawasoti is 76% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$1.94 NPR 297

314.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$20.29 NPR 3,102

138.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$6.45 NPR 985

46.05%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$1.60 NPR 244

83.75%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.57 NPR 87.1

226.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.15 NPR 23.02

873.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$3.20 NPR 489

0.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.53 NPR 540

61.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$0.73 NPR 111

97.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.55 NPR 84.4

336.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$0.92 NPR 141

84.78%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.70 NPR 261

70.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$7.52 NPR 1,150

33.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$2.66 NPR 407

274.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$5.21 NPR 796

172.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.03 NPR 310

96.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$0.83 NPR 126

90.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$0.68 NPR 104

216.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$0.48 NPR 73.0

379.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.34 NPR 52.0

488.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.45 NPR 68.5

235.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.35 NPR 52.9

242.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.25 NPR 38.51

412.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.70 NPR 413

42.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$2.69 NPR 411

420.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$2.31 NPR 353

-25.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.64 NPR 404

3.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.16 NPR 24.94

681.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$0.63 NPR 96.5

107.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.85 NPR 129

155.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$1.93 NPR 295

329.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.09 NPR 167

24.77%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$29.5K NPR 4.5M

-7.00%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$36.1K NPR 5.5M

1.21%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$16.73 NPR 2,558

908.49%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$3.20 NPR 489

324.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$6.50 NPR 994

335.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$20.06 NPR 3,066

127.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$6.39 NPR 977

169.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$1.66 NPR 254

300.60%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$67.6 NPR 10.3K

1088.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$4,873 NPR 745.0K

88.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$13.27 NPR 2,030

558.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$9.65 NPR 1,475

515.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$19.48 NPR 2,978

613.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$9.67 NPR 1,479

955.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$67.0 NPR 10.2K

1498.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$45.66 NPR 6,981

1330.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$97.8 NPR 14.9K

1868.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$65.2 NPR 9,968

1507.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$229 NPR 35.0K

186.37%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Kawasoti: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $67.0 in Kawasoti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 186% 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 Kawasoti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $124 per month, with Kawasoti 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 Kawasoti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Kawasoti differ by about 397% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $330 including rent). Kawasoti is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 186% 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $67.0 in Kawasoti. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 143% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $330 in Kawasoti – a 397% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $330 in Kawasoti versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kawasoti but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kawasoti 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Kawasoti 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 Kawasoti gentler on the wallet – expenses run 397% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.