Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lucknow Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lucknow

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $386 in Lucknow.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $592 in Lucknow.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $797 in Lucknow.

Living in Medellin is roughly 325% more expensive than in Lucknow, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Lucknow is 72% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$1.89 ₹181

325.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$10.38 ₹992

365.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$3.11 ₹297

202.89%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$1.59 ₹152

84.91%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.37 ₹35.65

402.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.12 ₹11.26

1116.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.64 ₹156

95.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.38 ₹228

139.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$0.74 ₹71.1

94.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.45 ₹42.90

433.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$0.59 ₹56.8

188.14%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.01 ₹96.9

186.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$3.67 ₹351

174.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$2.59 ₹247

284.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.71 ₹163

132.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$0.63 ₹59.9

150.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$0.93 ₹89.1

131.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$0.51 ₹48.53

350.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.30 ₹28.38

566.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.45 ₹42.56

235.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.45 ₹43.12

166.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.32 ₹30.78

300.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$5.07 ₹484

-24.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$8.62 ₹823

62.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.66 ₹159

3.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.58 ₹246

6.20%

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

$5.72 ₹546

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.44 ₹41.85

184.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$5.21 ₹498

1395.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$0.92 ₹88.1

42.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.22 ₹21.03

886.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$1.19 ₹114

596.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.12 ₹107

21.43%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$12.5K ₹1.2M

120.37%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$22.1K ₹2.1M

65.68%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$53.2 ₹5,080

217.32%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$3.66 ₹350

270.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$8.78 ₹839

222.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$15.75 ₹1,505

190.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$6.97 ₹666

147.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$3.26 ₹311

103.99%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$39.71 ₹3,794

1923.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$1,008 ₹96.3K

812.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$23.50 ₹2,246

271.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$24.67 ₹2,357

140.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$38.15 ₹3,645

264.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$25.32 ₹2,419

303.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$129 ₹12.3K

731.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$77.4 ₹7,391

744.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$355 ₹33.9K

442.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$173 ₹16.5K

505.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,300 ₹124.2K

217.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$551 ₹52.6K

208.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$339 ₹32.4K

93.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.53

28.25%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Lucknow: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $129 in Lucknow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 93% 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 $10.00 in Lucknow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $99.0 per month, with Lucknow 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 Lucknow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lucknow is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 325% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 93% 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 $129 in Lucknow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lucknow – a meal for two runs $10.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $386 in Lucknow – a 325% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $386 in Lucknow versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Lucknow but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Lucknow the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lucknow is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Lucknow gentler on the wallet – expenses run 325% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.