Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Purnia

For one person, living is cheaper in Purnia: $372 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Purnia, India
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Purnia
🇮🇳 India
$372
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Purnia

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $372 in Purnia, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Purnia $372

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $584 in Purnia, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Purnia $584

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $797 in Purnia, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Purnia $797

Medellin costs about 341% more than Purnia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Purnia is 73% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Purnia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.6K
$2.09 ₹199
287.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.9K
$9.47 ₹902
396.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.1K
$3.23 ₹308
194.12%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,540
$1.65 ₹157
82.42%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,693
$0.38 ₹36.20
373.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,469
$0.15 ₹14.05
840.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.0K
$1.96 ₹186
62.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.2K
$6.01 ₹572
-4.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Purnia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,778
$0.62 ₹58.9
143.55%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,524
$0.41 ₹38.57
480.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,606
$0.52 ₹49.05
240.38%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,146
$0.91 ₹86.6
217.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.2K
$3.53 ₹336
188.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.2K
$2.07 ₹197
376.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.3K
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.6K
$1.36 ₹130
191.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,911
$0.51 ₹48.96
203.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,907
$1.00 ₹95.3
118.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,910
$0.41 ₹39.48
431.71%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,210
$0.24 ₹22.62
716.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,029
$0.20 ₹19.04
695.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,625
$0.44 ₹41.48
161.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,934
$0.29 ₹27.97
327.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$3.24 ₹309
22.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.3K
$6.11 ₹582
123.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,252
$1.63 ₹155
1.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,145
$2.12 ₹202
6.60%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
-
$6.93 ₹660
-
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Purnia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,696
$0.19 ₹18.11
515.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 244.8K
$7.63 ₹726
914.02%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,013
$1.33 ₹126
-4.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,480
$0.20 ₹18.75
925.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.1K
$2.15 ₹204
297.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,262
$1.13 ₹108
19.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.8M
$11.4K ₹1.1M
198.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.7M
$27.8K ₹2.6M
24.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Purnia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 536.8K
$46.35 ₹4,413
266.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.9K
$2.89 ₹275
368.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.8K
$6.36 ₹605
341.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Purnia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 138.3K
$12.70 ₹1,209
244.09%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.4K
$7.10 ₹676
142.11%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.9K
$3.38 ₹322
104.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Purnia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$56.0 ₹5,327
1323.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.8M
$1,684 ₹160.3K
441.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Purnia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 268.1K
$23.72 ₹2,258
257.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 183.4K
$29.41 ₹2,800
97.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 427.1K
$38.92 ₹3,706
246.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 309.7K
$33.13 ₹3,154
195.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Purnia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
$119 ₹11.3K
917.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
$75.5 ₹7,190
749.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
$267 ₹25.5K
658.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
$183 ₹17.5K
451.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.2M
$910 ₹86.7K
358.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
$525 ₹49.9K
264.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Purnia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$314 ₹29.9K
109.07%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
9.46
15.64%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Purnia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Purnia
$76 88.2% $566
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Purnia
$84 71.8% $213
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Purnia
$56 73.7% $156
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Purnia
$70 58.7% $100
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Purnia
$56 66.7% $113
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Purnia
$11 88.6% $83
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Purnia
$19 66.2% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $119 in Purnia. 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 2.1 times higher, 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 $9 in Purnia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $84 – making Purnia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇮🇳 Purnia
🕒 Local time
01:28 1:28 AM
11:58 11:58 AM
10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
310,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Purnia 16,010 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Purnia

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 Purnia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Purnia cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 341%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $557 in Purnia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Purnia, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $119 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Purnia?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $9 in Purnia. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Purnia?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $372 in Purnia. That makes Purnia about 77% cheaper.
Is $800 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Purnia?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Purnia, where all-in costs run around $372, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Purnia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Purnia more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Purnia – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Purnia. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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