Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Paro

For one person, living is cheaper in Paro: $153 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $17,800 less a year.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Paro

🇧🇹 Bhutan

$153

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Paro

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $153 in Paro, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Paro $153

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $299 in Paro, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Paro $299

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $446 in Paro, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Paro $446

Medellin costs about 973% more than Paro.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Paro is 89% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

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

$170 COP 547.8K

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$3.59 BTN 341

378.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

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

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$202 BTN 19.2K

497.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$153 BTN 14.5K

319.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$498 BTN 47.3K

307.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$442 BTN 42.0K

128.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Paro: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Paro

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Paro

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Paro

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Paro

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Paro

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Paro

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Paro

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $202 in Paro. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇹 Paro

🕒 Local time

04:00 4:00 AM

15:00 3:00 PM

11 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

11,448

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Bhutanese Ngultrum BTN Nu.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1,000 BTN = 10.52 USD

1,000 BTN = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BTN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Bhutanese Ngultrum exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 95.05 BTN (100 BTN = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 BTN (1,000 BTN = 9.43 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Paro 15,940 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Paro

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 Paro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 973% more than Paro, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $229 in Paro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Paro, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $202 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Paro, where all-in costs run around $153, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Paro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $153 in Paro to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.