Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lucknow

For one person, living is cheaper in Lucknow: $396 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Lucknow
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Lucknow Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Lucknow

🇮🇳 India

$396

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Lucknow

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 Lucknow actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $396 in Lucknow.

Medellin $1,639
Lucknow $396

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $621 in Lucknow.

Medellin $2,413
Lucknow $621

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $846 in Lucknow.

Medellin $3,186
Lucknow $846

Living in Medellin is roughly 314% more expensive than in Lucknow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Lucknow is 71% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$1.86 ₹176

334.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$10.62 ₹1,009

343.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$3.23 ₹307

194.12%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$1.57 ₹149

91.72%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$0.44 ₹41.97

309.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.13 ₹12.29

984.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$1.56 ₹148

103.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$2.26 ₹214

154.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$0.70 ₹66.6

115.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$0.47 ₹44.92

406.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$0.59 ₹55.9

200.00%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$1.02 ₹96.4

183.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$3.32 ₹315

206.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$2.51 ₹239

293.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.79 ₹170

121.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$0.66 ₹63.1

134.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$0.96 ₹91.0

127.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$0.47 ₹44.75

363.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$0.30 ₹28.11

553.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$0.42 ₹39.45

278.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$0.42 ₹39.88

173.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.30 ₹28.36

313.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.90 ₹465

-19.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$8.57 ₹814

59.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$1.66 ₹158

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$2.63 ₹249

-14.07%

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

$5.72 ₹543

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.43 ₹41.10

172.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$9.07 ₹861

753.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$0.98 ₹93.4

29.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$0.20 ₹18.95

925.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$1.14 ₹108

650.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$1.14 ₹108

18.42%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$11.1K ₹1.1M

206.67%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$22.0K ₹2.1M

57.72%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$54.2 ₹5,149

212.83%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$3.74 ₹356

262.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$8.66 ₹822

224.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$15.88 ₹1,508

175.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$6.69 ₹635

156.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$3.20 ₹304

115.94%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$38.90 ₹3,693

1947.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$979 ₹92.9K

830.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$23.41 ₹2,223

261.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$25.07 ₹2,381

131.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$38.75 ₹3,679

248.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$25.60 ₹2,431

282.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$133 ₹12.6K

810.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$87.7 ₹8,324

631.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$356 ₹33.8K

468.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$212 ₹20.1K

376.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$1,124 ₹106.7K

271.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$606 ₹57.5K

215.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$331 ₹31.5K

98.33%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lucknow: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Lucknow

$88 22.2% 86.3% $554

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Lucknow

$98 24.7% 67.2% $199

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Lucknow

$67 16.8% 68.5% $145

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Lucknow

$58 14.7% 65.8% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Lucknow

$51 12.8% 69.9% $118

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Lucknow

$13 3.2% 86.3% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Lucknow

$22 5.6% 61.3% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $133 in Lucknow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 98% 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 in Medellin vs $11 in Lucknow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $98 per month, with Lucknow cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇳 Lucknow

🕒 Local time

18:10 6:10 PM

04:40 4:40 AM

10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

4,588,455

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Lucknow 15,550 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Lucknow

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 Lucknow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lucknow is about 76% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 98% 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $133 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 $11 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $396 in Lucknow – Lucknow is about 76% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $396 in Lucknow versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 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.

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.

Expats usually find Lucknow gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.