Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Pakpattan

For one person, living is cheaper in Pakpattan: $448 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Pakpattan
Learn more

Pakpattan Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Pakpattan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$448

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Pakpattan

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $448 in Pakpattan, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Pakpattan $448

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $646 in Pakpattan, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Pakpattan $646

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $843 in Pakpattan, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Pakpattan $843

Medellin costs about 278% more than Pakpattan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Pakpattan is 67% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$1.24 PKR 341

572.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.1K

$10.78 PKR 2,978

331.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.5K

$5.28 PKR 1,459

79.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 PKR 752

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.14 PKR 1,421

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$1.77 PKR 489

76.84%

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

$1.77 COP 5,696

$0.16 PKR 44.42

1006.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,594

$0.10 PKR 28.80

1320.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,943

$0.63 PKR 174

142.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,389

$0.55 PKR 153

316.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,273

$0.88 PKR 244

120.45%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,889

$1.14 PKR 315

169.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.2K

$6.85 PKR 1,893

45.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$2.48 PKR 685

321.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.0K

$3.63 PKR 1,004

284.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$0.95 PKR 263

326.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,929

$0.46 PKR 127

232.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,786

$0.28 PKR 76.9

650.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$0.57 PKR 158

301.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,803

$0.39 PKR 109

441.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,512

$0.45 PKR 125

280.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$0.50 PKR 137

134.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,096

$0.37 PKR 102

327.03%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.83 PKR 506

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 PKR 306

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 PKR 673

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$2.14 PKR 593

82.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,682

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,746

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,805

$0.18 PKR 50.1

555.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.0K

$9.75 PKR 2,694

682.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,827

$1.42 PKR 393

27.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,867

$0.37 PKR 104

475.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.2K

$0.92 PKR 255

783.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,113

$0.98 PKR 272

30.61%

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

$34.4K COP 111.1M

$24.7K PKR 6.8M

39.25%

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

$34.1K COP 110.1M

$23.4K PKR 6.5M

46.16%

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

$178 COP 573.2K

$142 PKR 39.2K

25.17%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$4.93 PKR 1,362

181.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.1K

$18.98 PKR 5,246

61.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.3K

$14.85 PKR 4,104

182.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

$8.04 PKR 2,223

108.96%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$4.41 PKR 1,219

69.39%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$12.43 PKR 3,435

6256.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$995 PKR 274.9K

1136.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.4K

$10.72 PKR 2,963

705.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.1K

$12.57 PKR 3,473

371.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.2K

$24.84 PKR 6,866

456.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 318.7K

$14.18 PKR 3,919

596.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$137 PKR 37.9K

877.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$84.9 PKR 23.5K

685.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$263 PKR 72.7K

651.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$178 PKR 49.3K

478.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$806 PKR 222.8K

408.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$511 PKR 141.3K

279.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$110 PKR 30.5K

486.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-15.85%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Pakpattan: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Pakpattan

$85 19% 87.3% $582

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Pakpattan

$84 18.7% 72.7% $224

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Pakpattan

$166 37% 25.4% $56

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Pakpattan

$48 10.7% 72.2% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Pakpattan

$28 6.3% 83.7% $144

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Pakpattan

$14 3.1% 85.3% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Pakpattan

$24 5.3% 58.4% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $137 in Pakpattan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 5.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $11 in Pakpattan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $84 – making Pakpattan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇰 Pakpattan

🕒 Local time

20:37 8:37 PM

06:37 6:37 AM

10 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

176,693

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,631 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 276 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Pakpattan 14,770 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Pakpattan

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 Pakpattan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 278%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $672 in Pakpattan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pakpattan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $137 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $11 in Pakpattan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $448 in Pakpattan. That makes Pakpattan about 74% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Pakpattan, where all-in costs run around $448, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Pakpattan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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