Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Muzaffarabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Muzaffarabad: $385 a month against $1,625 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 Muzaffarabad
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Muzaffarabad Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Muzaffarabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$385

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Muzaffarabad

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $387 in Muzaffarabad, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Muzaffarabad $387

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $560 in Muzaffarabad, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Muzaffarabad $560

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $733 in Muzaffarabad, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Muzaffarabad $733

Medellin costs about 317% more than Muzaffarabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Muzaffarabad is 71% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$1.40 PKR 387

492.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$8.97 PKR 2,482

422.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$2.21 PKR 613

318.10%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 PKR 406

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 PKR 822

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$1.06 PKR 293

187.74%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.41 PKR 112

339.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.21 PKR 58.8

557.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.00 PKR 276

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$0.68 PKR 187

248.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$0.94 PKR 261

80.85%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$0.93 PKR 258

218.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$3.58 PKR 991

185.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$2.55 PKR 707

281.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$3.28 PKR 908

323.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$1.10 PKR 305

275.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$0.56 PKR 156

173.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$0.37 PKR 103

500.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$0.35 PKR 95.9

548.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$0.35 PKR 96.7

468.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$0.28 PKR 77.5

496.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$0.42 PKR 115

180.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.25 PKR 69.0

396.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.41 PKR 390

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 PKR 206

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 PKR 193

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$0.87 PKR 241

344.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.19 PKR 52.7

552.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$10.03 PKR 2,776

679.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$1.09 PKR 303

17.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.73 PKR 203

194.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$1.40 PKR 389

497.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$0.95 PKR 262

42.11%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$22.3K PKR 6.2M

56.04%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$25.6K PKR 7.1M

35.44%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$118 PKR 32.5K

41.83%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$5.53 PKR 1,530

146.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$9.20 PKR 2,547

216.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$14.84 PKR 4,107

203.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$8.20 PKR 2,269

109.51%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$2.05 PKR 567

240.00%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$46.79 PKR 13.0K

1588.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$1,039 PKR 287.6K

770.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$5.46 PKR 1,512

1508.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$8.83 PKR 2,444

558.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$49.77 PKR 13.8K

179.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$10.63 PKR 2,942

830.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$124 PKR 34.4K

726.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$76.1 PKR 21.0K

714.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$256 PKR 70.8K

635.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$146 PKR 40.5K

587.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$947 PKR 262.0K

321.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$483 PKR 133.7K

252.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$289 PKR 80.1K

129.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-27.07%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Muzaffarabad: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Muzaffarabad

$76 19.7% 87.7% $543

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Muzaffarabad

$76 19.7% 74.5% $222

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Muzaffarabad

$132 34.3% 36.9% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Muzaffarabad

$34 8.7% 80.5% $139

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Muzaffarabad

$33 8.6% 80.7% $138

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Muzaffarabad

$16 4% 83.7% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Muzaffarabad

$19 4.9% 67.9% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $129 in Muzaffarabad. 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 123% 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $9.00 in Muzaffarabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $75.0 – making Muzaffarabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇰 Muzaffarabad

🕒 Local time

05:00 5:00 AM

15:00 3:00 PM

10 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

149,913

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Muzaffarabad 14,450 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Muzaffarabad

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 Muzaffarabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 317%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $581 in Muzaffarabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Muzaffarabad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $9.00 in Muzaffarabad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $387 in Muzaffarabad. That's a gap of about 317%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Muzaffarabad, where all-in costs run around $387, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Muzaffarabad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Muzaffarabad – 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 Muzaffarabad. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.