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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $337 in Rupnagar, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $523 in Rupnagar, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $709 in Rupnagar, rent included.

Medellin costs about 398% more than Rupnagar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Rupnagar is 75% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$3.07 ₹294

161.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$8.53 ₹819

461.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$3.15 ₹302

213.97%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.21 ₹116

158.68%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.32 ₹30.87

496.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.16 ₹15.81

843.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.21 ₹116

157.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$1.99 ₹191

188.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$0.54 ₹51.4

166.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.39 ₹37.48

538.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$0.53 ₹51.1

233.96%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$0.77 ₹74.0

284.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$5.20 ₹499

93.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$2.16 ₹207

368.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.28 ₹123

223.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$0.63 ₹60.6

155.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$0.53 ₹51.1

324.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.45 ₹43.33

400.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.34 ₹32.77

500.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.39 ₹37.17

294.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.59 ₹56.5

98.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.30 ₹28.67

336.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$5.08 ₹487

-23.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$5.32 ₹510

163.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.06 ₹102

64.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.88 ₹180

52.66%

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

$4.21 ₹404

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.23 ₹21.87

430.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$8.20 ₹787

881.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.07 ₹103

22.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.27 ₹26.10

711.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$2.13 ₹205

308.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.05 ₹101

30.48%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$7,344 ₹704.6K

279.01%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$15.8K ₹1.5M

126.33%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$38.52 ₹3,695

360.28%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$2.67 ₹256

419.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$5.24 ₹502

467.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$9.08 ₹871

394.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$6.58 ₹631

160.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$2.63 ₹252

152.85%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$92.6 ₹8,879

778.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$1,664 ₹159.7K

451.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$21.82 ₹2,093

310.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$24.77 ₹2,376

138.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$31.80 ₹3,051

334.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$25.69 ₹2,464

297.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$128 ₹12.3K

731.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$75.1 ₹7,205

782.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$278 ₹26.6K

579.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$178 ₹17.1K

477.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$935 ₹89.7K

347.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$564 ₹54.1K

196.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Rupnagar: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $128 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $9.00 in Rupnagar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $83.0 – 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 398%, 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 $2,521 per month in Medellin and $506 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $9.00 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 $1,681 in Medellin and $337 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 $337, than in Medellin at $1,681. 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.