Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kolkata (Calcutta)

For one person, living is cheaper in Kolkata (Calcutta): $417 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Kolkata (Calcutta)
Learn more

Kolkata (Calcutta) Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Kolkata (Calcutta)

🇮🇳 India

$417

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kolkata (Calcutta)

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 Kolkata (Calcutta) actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Medellin versus $417 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Medellin $1,589
Kolkata (Calcutta) $417

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,364 in Medellin versus $669 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Medellin $2,364
Kolkata (Calcutta) $669

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,139 in Medellin versus $922 in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Medellin $3,139
Kolkata (Calcutta) $922

Living in Medellin is roughly 281% more expensive than in Kolkata (Calcutta), and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Kolkata (Calcutta) is 69% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

$2.04 ₹198

292.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.3K

$14.78 ₹1,430

214.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$4.26 ₹412

121.36%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,277

$1.64 ₹159

77.44%

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

$1.75 COP 5,585

$0.48 ₹46.58

264.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,218

$0.12 ₹11.89

1000.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

$1.90 ₹184

64.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

$3.13 ₹303

77.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

$0.72 ₹69.3

95.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$0.46 ₹44.25

430.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

$0.68 ₹65.5

139.71%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

$1.03 ₹99.3

173.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

$5.31 ₹514

82.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$3.04 ₹295

206.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$2.38 ₹230

68.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

$0.79 ₹76.7

87.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

$1.39 ₹134

52.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

$0.61 ₹59.2

268.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

$0.30 ₹29.22

536.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

$0.40 ₹38.88

305.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

$0.35 ₹33.52

228.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

$0.26 ₹24.88

384.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$4.92 ₹476

-22.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

$10.34 ₹1,001

26.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

$1.74 ₹168

-8.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

$2.70 ₹261

-16.30%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.34 ₹614

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

$0.14 ₹13.90

735.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

$3.19 ₹309

2251.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,056

$0.76 ₹73.5

67.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,531

$0.32 ₹31.19

540.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

$1.52 ₹147

439.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,046

$1.08 ₹105

17.59%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

$15.8K ₹1.5M

69.40%

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

$34.4K COP 109.6M

$22.7K ₹2.2M

51.60%

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

$162 COP 516.9K

$52.5 ₹5,076

209.27%

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

$5.10 ₹494

157.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

$7.13 ₹690

293.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.2K

$15.73 ₹1,523

181.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.0K

$10.52 ₹1,018

55.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$3.33 ₹322

82.88%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$45.81 ₹4,433

1568.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

$2,090 ₹202.2K

326.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

$26.12 ₹2,528

225.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

$25.89 ₹2,506

122.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

$35.62 ₹3,448

269.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

$27.81 ₹2,691

244.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$151 ₹14.6K

581.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$95.4 ₹9,229

533.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

$399 ₹38.6K

352.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$204 ₹19.8K

385.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

$1,119 ₹108.3K

250.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

$590 ₹57.1K

177.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$382 ₹36.9K

64.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.04

21.02%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Kolkata (Calcutta): October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$95 22.5% 84.2% $509

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$116 27.4% 59.8% $173

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$65 15.3% 68.2% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$52 12.3% 68.8% $115

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$67 15.8% 59.7% $99

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$6.1 1.5% 93.3% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Kolkata (Calcutta)

$22 5.3% 60.4% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $151 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 64% 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: $47.00 in Medellin vs $15.00 in Kolkata (Calcutta) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $116 per month, with Kolkata (Calcutta) cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇳 Kolkata (Calcutta)

🕒 Local time

05:29 5:29 AM

15:59 3:59 PM

10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

4,486,679

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,571 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 108 INR (1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Kolkata (Calcutta) 16,360 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Kolkata (Calcutta)

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 Kolkata (Calcutta): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kolkata (Calcutta) wins on cost – living expenses run 281% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kolkata (Calcutta) the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 64% 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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $151 in Kolkata (Calcutta). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,589 per month in Medellin versus $417 in Kolkata (Calcutta) – a 281% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kolkata (Calcutta) runs roughly 2252% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $417 in Kolkata (Calcutta) versus $1,589 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kolkata (Calcutta) but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kolkata (Calcutta) the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kolkata (Calcutta) delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $417 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kolkata (Calcutta) hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Kolkata (Calcutta) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 281% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.