Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Rawalpindi

For one person, living is cheaper in Rawalpindi: $504 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Rawalpindi
Learn more

Rawalpindi Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Rawalpindi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$504

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Rawalpindi

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $504 in Rawalpindi, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Rawalpindi $504

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $787 in Rawalpindi, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Rawalpindi $787

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,069 in Rawalpindi, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Rawalpindi $1,069

Medellin costs about 225% more than Rawalpindi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Rawalpindi is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$2.11 PKR 584

283.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$16.10 PKR 4,454

192.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$6.07 PKR 1,680

56.51%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 PKR 492

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 PKR 963

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$2.01 PKR 556

49.75%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$0.40 PKR 112

350.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.23 PKR 63.1

513.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$0.87 PKR 241

73.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$0.59 PKR 162

303.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$1.21 PKR 336

46.28%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$1.10 PKR 303

162.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$6.25 PKR 1,729

63.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$3.55 PKR 983

178.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$4.94 PKR 1,366

183.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.20 PKR 333

230.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$0.87 PKR 242

78.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$1.21 PKR 336

80.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$0.52 PKR 145

319.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$0.39 PKR 107

402.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$0.46 PKR 127

245.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$0.31 PKR 87.1

270.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.40 PKR 110

210.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$16.44 PKR 4,550

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 PKR 321

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 PKR 667

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$2.04 PKR 564

94.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.19 PKR 53.9

515.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$10.06 PKR 2,783

669.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$0.87 PKR 240

45.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$0.35 PKR 95.5

485.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$3.11 PKR 860

174.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$1.24 PKR 342

8.87%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$19.3K PKR 5.3M

76.77%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

46.73%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$115 PKR 31.7K

47.98%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$5.61 PKR 1,551

141.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$18.35 PKR 5,078

52.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$12.01 PKR 3,322

263.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$7.28 PKR 2,015

136.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$4.25 PKR 1,175

62.59%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$48.77 PKR 13.5K

1533.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$1,056 PKR 292.3K

762.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$17.54 PKR 4,852

383.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$32.61 PKR 9,022

77.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$93.6 PKR 25.9K

44.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$35.98 PKR 9,956

172.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$183 PKR 50.6K

560.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$87.2 PKR 24.1K

635.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$396 PKR 109.5K

412.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$221 PKR 61.2K

357.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$1,007 PKR 278.6K

314.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$434 PKR 120.2K

339.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$174 PKR 48.0K

278.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

22.81

-52.04%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Rawalpindi: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Rawalpindi

$87 17.3% 86.4% $554

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Rawalpindi

$102 20.2% 65.7% $195

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Rawalpindi

$139 27.5% 34.4% $73

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Rawalpindi

$62 12.2% 63.6% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Rawalpindi

$81 16% 52.1% $88

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Rawalpindi

$13 2.7% 85.6% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Rawalpindi

$21 4.1% 64.4% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $183 in Rawalpindi. 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 3.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $16 in Rawalpindi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $102 – making Rawalpindi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇰 Rawalpindi

🕒 Local time

06:15 6:15 AM

16:15 4:15 PM

10 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

2,098,231

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 309 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Rawalpindi 14,490 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Rawalpindi

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 Rawalpindi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 225%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $756 in Rawalpindi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rawalpindi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $183 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $16 in Rawalpindi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $504 in Rawalpindi. That makes Rawalpindi about 69% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Rawalpindi, where all-in costs run around $504, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Rawalpindi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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