Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Malda Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Malda

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $544 in Malda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $684 in Malda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $824 in Malda.

Living in Medellin is roughly 90% more expensive than Malda, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Malda 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$3.26 ₹309

81.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$11.62 ₹1,103

181.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$3.52 ₹334

104.55%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.79 ₹170

-5.03%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.40 ₹38.23

175.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.15 ₹14.12

380.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.72 ₹163

-2.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.88 ₹273

7.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$0.63 ₹59.5

68.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.43 ₹40.75

190.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$0.49 ₹46.59

183.67%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$0.80 ₹76.4

182.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$5.41 ₹514

-19.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$2.53 ₹240

130.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.51 ₹238

-10.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$0.79 ₹75.3

36.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.28 ₹121

19.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$0.65 ₹61.6

110.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.28 ₹26.35

303.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.33 ₹31.73

239.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.42 ₹39.47

102.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.17 ₹16.31

435.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$3.86 ₹367

-39.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$9.81 ₹931

13.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.68 ₹160

-29.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.48 ₹236

-4.44%

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

$2.50 ₹238

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.30 ₹28.53

163.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$8.64 ₹820

376.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$0.55 ₹52.4

161.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.28 ₹26.29

582.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$2.08 ₹197

285.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.24 ₹118

-24.19%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$15.9K ₹1.5M

12.55%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$22.9K ₹2.2M

16.90%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$41.19 ₹3,911

103.84%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$3.85 ₹365

149.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$5.78 ₹549

317.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$16.15 ₹1,533

60.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$6.99 ₹664

172.39%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$4.02 ₹382

-2.49%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$43.03 ₹4,085

611.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$1,600 ₹151.9K

269.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$8.06 ₹765

618.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$8.03 ₹762

296.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$48.87 ₹4,640

104.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$9.14 ₹868

1072.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$289 ₹27.5K

68.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$231 ₹21.9K

59.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$411 ₹39.0K

101.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$182 ₹17.3K

293.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$378 ₹35.9K

44.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

9.9

35.66%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Malda: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $289 in Malda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 44% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $12.00 in Malda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $109 per month, with Malda 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 Malda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malda is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Medellin pays 44% more on average, 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: $487 in Medellin versus $289 in Malda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Malda – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $544 in Malda versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Malda but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Malda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Malda 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 Malda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.