Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Rupnagar Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Rupnagar

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,028 per month in Medellin vs $386 in Rupnagar, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in Medellin vs $607 in Rupnagar, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,144 per month in Medellin vs $827 in Rupnagar, rent included.

Medellin costs about 166% more than Rupnagar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and Rupnagar are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Rupnagar 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$3.58 ₹338

67.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.5K

$9.81 ₹928

234.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.4K

$2.96 ₹280

150.68%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,659

$1.35 ₹128

22.22%

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

$1.07 COP 3,663

$0.33 ₹31.52

224.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,607

$0.17 ₹15.70

347.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,908

$1.35 ₹128

27.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$2.22 ₹210

44.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,597

$0.65 ₹61.5

61.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,479

$0.44 ₹41.89

197.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,591

$0.60 ₹56.9

123.33%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,521

$0.93 ₹87.9

135.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.1K

$5.91 ₹559

-25.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.5K

$2.39 ₹226

138.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.2K

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,023

$1.41 ₹134

65.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,804

$0.66 ₹62.0

68.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,210

$0.60 ₹56.6

153.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,680

$0.59 ₹55.8

132.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,950

$0.40 ₹37.58

187.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,043

$0.43 ₹40.64

174.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,885

$0.73 ₹69.1

15.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,931

$0.33 ₹31.61

160.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,753

$4.46 ₹422

-49.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.8K

$5.22 ₹494

122.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,109

$1.19 ₹113

0.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,484

$2.09 ₹198

18.66%

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

$4.61 ₹437

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,721

$0.28 ₹26.43

182.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

$8.47 ₹801

382.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,023

$1.13 ₹107

30.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,568

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.6K

$2.36 ₹223

229.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,464

$1.11 ₹105

-9.01%

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

$17.7K COP 60.5M

$8,015 ₹758.2K

120.31%

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

$26.5K COP 90.7M

$17.4K ₹1.6M

52.02%

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

$81.1 COP 277.9K

$53.6 ₹5,070

51.33%

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

$9.43 COP 32.3K

$2.86 ₹271

229.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 81.8K

$5.98 ₹566

299.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.1K

$9.65 ₹913

169.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.1K

$6.95 ₹657

169.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.0K

$2.96 ₹280

38.18%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$91.5 ₹8,652

243.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.6M

$1,667 ₹157.7K

261.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 204.6K

$26.31 ₹2,489

126.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.6K

$26.67 ₹2,523

19.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 346.9K

$34.90 ₹3,302

190.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 360.3K

$35.65 ₹3,372

194.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$122 ₹11.5K

298.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$77.3 ₹7,315

372.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$271 ₹25.6K

205.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$179 ₹16.9K

307.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$1,087 ₹102.8K

175.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$497 ₹47.0K

164.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

8.95

50.06%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Rupnagar: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $485 in Medellin versus $122 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $10.00 in Rupnagar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $93.0 – making Rupnagar the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 166%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,542 per month in Medellin and $579 in Rupnagar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rupnagar, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $10.00 in Rupnagar. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,028 in Medellin and $386 in Rupnagar. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Rupnagar, where all-in costs run around $386, than in Medellin at $1,028. In Rupnagar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Rupnagar. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.