Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Rourkela

For one person, living is cheaper in Rourkela: $305 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
15

Cost of Living Index in Rourkela
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Rourkela Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Rourkela

🇮🇳 India

$305

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Rourkela

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $305 in Rourkela, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Rourkela $305

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $531 in Rourkela, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Rourkela $531

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $758 in Rourkela, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Rourkela $758

Medellin costs about 437% more than Rourkela, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Rourkela is 78% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$1.62 ₹155

399.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$10.39 ₹989

352.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$4.15 ₹395

128.92%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$1.38 ₹132

118.12%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$0.25 ₹23.72

620.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$0.16 ₹14.81

781.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$1.55 ₹148

105.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$3.08 ₹293

86.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$0.48 ₹45.35

214.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$0.39 ₹36.76

510.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$0.37 ₹35.25

378.38%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$0.82 ₹78.2

252.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$2.62 ₹249

288.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$2.67 ₹254

269.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$1.54 ₹147

157.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$0.69 ₹65.5

124.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

$0.62 ₹58.9

251.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$0.28 ₹26.62

678.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$0.25 ₹23.84

684.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

$0.24 ₹22.96

562.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

$0.49 ₹46.20

134.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$0.33 ₹30.96

275.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$5.12 ₹487

-22.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$7.99 ₹760

71.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

$1.87 ₹178

-11.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

$2.52 ₹240

-10.32%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.96 ₹663

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

$0.16 ₹15.53

631.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

$7.71 ₹734

903.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

$1.03 ₹98.3

23.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

$0.20 ₹19.04

925.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

$2.06 ₹197

315.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$1.10 ₹105

22.73%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

$9,608 ₹914.8K

254.56%

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

$15.7K ₹1.5M

121.51%

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

$170 COP 536.8K

$23.19 ₹2,208

631.57%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$3.35 ₹319

304.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$6.71 ₹639

318.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$14.33 ₹1,364

204.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

$6.14 ₹585

179.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$3.22 ₹307

114.60%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$76.4 ₹7,276

942.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

$2,320 ₹220.9K

292.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

$23.65 ₹2,251

258.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

$26.17 ₹2,491

121.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

$36.51 ₹3,476

269.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

$32.64 ₹3,108

199.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$123 ₹11.7K

883.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$42.07 ₹4,006

1424.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$263 ₹25.1K

670.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$188 ₹17.9K

438.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

$881 ₹83.9K

373.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$478 ₹45.5K

299.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$832 ₹79.2K

-20.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.17

19.30%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Rourkela: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Rourkela

$42 13.8% 93.4% $599

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Rourkela

$88 28.7% 70.5% $209

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Rourkela

$33 10.9% 84.3% $178

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Rourkela

$58 18.9% 66.1% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Rourkela

$54 17.5% 68.3% $115

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Rourkela

$10 3.4% 88.9% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Rourkela

$21 6.8% 63.9% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $123 in Rourkela. 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 27% higher in Rourkela, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $10 in Rourkela. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $88 – making Rourkela the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇳 Rourkela

🕒 Local time

22:08 10:08 PM

08:38 8:38 AM

10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

210,300

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

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).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Rourkela 16,200 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Rourkela

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 Rourkela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 437%, 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 $458 in Rourkela. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rourkela, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $123 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $10 in Rourkela. 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 $305 in Rourkela. That makes Rourkela about 81% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Rourkela, where all-in costs run around $305, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Rourkela it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rourkela – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Rourkela is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 81% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.