Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Rupnagar

For one person, living is cheaper in Rupnagar: $338 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Rupnagar, India
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Rupnagar
🇮🇳 India
$338
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Rupnagar

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $338 in Rupnagar, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Rupnagar $338

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $545 in Rupnagar, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Rupnagar $545

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $752 in Rupnagar, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Rupnagar $752

Medellin costs about 385% more than Rupnagar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Rupnagar is 75% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Rupnagar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$3.20 ₹304
152.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$8.75 ₹831
437.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$3.12 ₹296
204.49%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,735
$1.23 ₹116
144.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$0.33 ₹31.49
445.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,561
$0.17 ₹16.07
729.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
$1.25 ₹118
154.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$2.10 ₹199
173.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Rupnagar
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,876
$0.55 ₹51.9
174.55%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,678
$0.41 ₹38.52
480.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,720
$0.55 ₹52.5
221.82%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,333
$0.86 ₹81.5
236.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$5.34 ₹507
90.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$2.24 ₹213
340.62%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$1.28 ₹122
210.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,012
$0.64 ₹60.7
142.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,048
$0.51 ₹48.70
327.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,051
$0.49 ₹46.60
344.90%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,337
$0.32 ₹30.21
512.50%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,132
$0.36 ₹33.97
341.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,699
$0.64 ₹60.4
79.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$0.33 ₹31.34
275.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$5.00 ₹474
-20.80%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$5.30 ₹503
158.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,359
$1.08 ₹102
53.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,291
$1.86 ₹176
21.51%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
-
$4.31 ₹409
-
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Rupnagar
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,771
$0.19 ₹18.34
515.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.8K
$6.98 ₹662
1008.45%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,094
$1.03 ₹97.5
23.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,612
$0.27 ₹25.75
659.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$2.13 ₹202
301.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,349
$1.02 ₹96.6
32.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.0M
$7,351 ₹697.9K
363.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$15.9K ₹1.5M
117.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Rupnagar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.8K
$37.73 ₹3,582
349.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.8K
$2.57 ₹244
427.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$5.29 ₹502
430.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Rupnagar
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.1K
$9.17 ₹870
376.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
$7.06 ₹670
143.48%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$2.55 ₹242
170.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Rupnagar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$45.47 ₹4,317
1651.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$1,685 ₹159.9K
440.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Rupnagar
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$20.52 ₹1,948
312.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.2K
$24.70 ₹2,345
134.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.8K
$31.18 ₹2,960
332.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$25.75 ₹2,445
280.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Rupnagar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$116 ₹11.0K
941.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$74.6 ₹7,081
760.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$295 ₹28.0K
587.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$193 ₹18.3K
425.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
$816 ₹77.5K
411.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$593 ₹56.3K
222.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Rupnagar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
9.12
19.96%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Rupnagar: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Rupnagar
$75 88.4% $567
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Rupnagar
$85 71.4% $212
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Rupnagar
$46 78.4% $166
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Rupnagar
$62 63.4% $107
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Rupnagar
$46 72.8% $123
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Rupnagar
$10 89.2% $83
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Rupnagar
$14 75.2% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $116 in Rupnagar. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $9 in Rupnagar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $85 – making Rupnagar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇮🇳 Rupnagar
🕒 Local time
00:20 12:20 AM
10:50 10:50 AM
10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
57,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.94 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Rupnagar 14,920 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Rupnagar

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 Rupnagar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rupnagar cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 385%, 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 $507 in Rupnagar. 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 Rupnagar, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $116 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Rupnagar?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $9 in Rupnagar. 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 Rupnagar?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $338 in Rupnagar. That makes Rupnagar about 79% cheaper.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Rupnagar?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Rupnagar, where all-in costs run around $338, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Rupnagar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Rupnagar more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Rupnagar – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Rupnagar is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 79% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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