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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $375 in Rupnagar, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $592 in Rupnagar, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $810 in Rupnagar, rent included.

Medellin costs about 176% more than Rupnagar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and Rupnagar are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Rupnagar 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$3.47 ₹329

70.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$9.78 ₹929

234.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$2.83 ₹269

154.42%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.31 ₹124

29.77%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.36 ₹34.63

205.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.17 ₹15.67

323.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.33 ₹126

25.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.25 ₹214

37.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$0.64 ₹60.5

65.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.44 ₹42.11

184.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$0.61 ₹57.7

127.87%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$0.93 ₹88.7

143.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$5.76 ₹547

-24.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$2.39 ₹227

144.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.48 ₹140

51.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$0.71 ₹67.0

52.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$0.57 ₹53.8

168.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$0.63 ₹59.5

117.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.36 ₹34.56

213.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.42 ₹39.92

166.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.75 ₹70.9

13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.37 ₹34.80

145.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$4.35 ₹413

-46.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$5.32 ₹505

109.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.19 ₹113

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.02 ₹192

17.33%

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

$4.52 ₹429

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.30 ₹28.88

163.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$8.47 ₹804

385.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$1.14 ₹108

26.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$2.35 ₹223

241.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.12 ₹107

-16.07%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$8,212 ₹779.6K

118.24%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$17.2K ₹1.6M

56.07%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$53.8 ₹5,111

55.94%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$2.95 ₹280

225.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$5.88 ₹558

310.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$9.76 ₹926

165.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$7.15 ₹679

166.29%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$2.83 ₹269

38.52%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$91.4 ₹8,674

235.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$1,677 ₹159.2K

252.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$26.52 ₹2,518

118.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$26.56 ₹2,522

19.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$34.58 ₹3,283

188.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$34.94 ₹3,317

206.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$125 ₹11.9K

288.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$76.3 ₹7,241

382.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$270 ₹25.6K

206.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$179 ₹17.0K

299.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$977 ₹92.8K

199.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$522 ₹49.5K

169.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Rupnagar: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Medellin versus $125 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 176%, 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 $1,550 per month in Medellin and $562 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 $1,034 in Medellin and $375 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 $375, than in Medellin at $1,034. 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.