Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ludhiana

For one person, living is cheaper in Ludhiana: $488 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Ludhiana
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Ludhiana Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Ludhiana

🇮🇳 India

$488

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Ludhiana

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $488 in Ludhiana, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Ludhiana $488

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $784 in Ludhiana, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Ludhiana $784

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,080 in Ludhiana, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Ludhiana $1,080

Medellin costs about 236% more than Ludhiana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Ludhiana is 64% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$3.48 ₹332

132.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$10.67 ₹1,016

340.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$3.58 ₹341

165.36%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$1.93 ₹184

55.96%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$0.40 ₹38.34

350.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$0.25 ₹23.90

464.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$1.70 ₹162

87.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$3.52 ₹335

63.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$0.74 ₹70.7

104.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$0.51 ₹48.13

366.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$0.78 ₹73.9

126.92%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$0.86 ₹81.9

236.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$3.99 ₹379

155.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$3.09 ₹294

219.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$2.10 ₹200

89.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$0.58 ₹55.3

167.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

$0.82 ₹77.6

165.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$0.38 ₹36.53

473.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$0.26 ₹24.69

653.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

$0.32 ₹30.69

396.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

$0.43 ₹41.24

167.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$0.32 ₹30.92

287.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$3.48 ₹331

13.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$12.37 ₹1,178

10.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

$1.83 ₹174

-9.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

$3.05 ₹291

-25.90%

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

$8.39 ₹798

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

$0.55 ₹52.0

112.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

$15.78 ₹1,502

390.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

$1.55 ₹147

-18.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

$0.44 ₹41.72

365.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

$2.15 ₹204

297.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$1.10 ₹105

22.73%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

$13.4K ₹1.3M

154.89%

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

$22.0K ₹2.1M

57.34%

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

$170 COP 536.8K

$52.5 ₹4,995

223.33%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$3.10 ₹295

337.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$5.81 ₹554

383.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$15.33 ₹1,460

185.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

$4.48 ₹427

283.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$3.61 ₹344

91.41%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$72.3 ₹6,882

1002.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

$1,443 ₹137.4K

531.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

$21.69 ₹2,065

290.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

$40.15 ₹3,823

44.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

$70.1 ₹6,671

92.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

$36.40 ₹3,465

168.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$171 ₹16.3K

606.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$114 ₹10.8K

463.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$433 ₹41.2K

368.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$307 ₹29.2K

229.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

$880 ₹83.8K

374.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$679 ₹64.6K

181.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$423 ₹40.3K

55.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.17

19.30%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ludhiana: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Ludhiana

$114 23.3% 82.3% $528

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Ludhiana

$113 23.1% 62.1% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Ludhiana

$61 12.6% 70.9% $150

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Ludhiana

$80 16.4% 52.9% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Ludhiana

$76 15.5% 55.2% $93

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Ludhiana

$22 4.5% 76.8% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Ludhiana

$23 4.6% 60.8% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $171 in Ludhiana. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 55% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $11 in Ludhiana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $113 – making Ludhiana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇳 Ludhiana

🕒 Local time

00:10 12:10 AM

10:40 10:40 AM

10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

2,232,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.5 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 95.21 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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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Ludhiana 14,890 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Ludhiana

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 Ludhiana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $488 in Ludhiana – Ludhiana comes out roughly 70% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $732 in Ludhiana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ludhiana, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $171 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $72 in Ludhiana. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 164% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Ludhiana, where all-in costs run around $488, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Ludhiana it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ludhiana – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Ludhiana. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.