Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Shillong

For one person, living is cheaper in Shillong: $402 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Shillong
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Shillong Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Shillong

🇮🇳 India

$402

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Shillong

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $402 in Shillong, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Shillong $402

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $638 in Shillong, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Shillong $638

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $874 in Shillong, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Shillong $874

Medellin costs about 302% more than Shillong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Shillong is 70% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.1K

$3.35 ₹318

136.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.2K

$11.44 ₹1,086

303.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$4.81 ₹457

97.51%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,860

$1.66 ₹157

87.35%

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

$1.83 COP 5,796

$0.41 ₹38.89

346.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,357

$0.15 ₹13.94

820.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,666

$1.22 ₹116

150.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$3.49 ₹331

57.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,597

$0.61 ₹57.9

137.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,491

$0.31 ₹29.07

661.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,325

$0.58 ₹55.4

189.66%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,072

$0.92 ₹86.9

210.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$3.86 ₹366

163.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$2.43 ₹231

292.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$2.16 ₹205

88.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,739

$0.68 ₹64.4

120.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,887

$0.93 ₹88.4

133.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,305

$0.52 ₹49.22

344.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,110

$0.31 ₹29.25

522.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,193

$0.35 ₹32.78

368.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,568

$0.22 ₹20.91

413.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,952

$0.25 ₹23.68

400.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$5.11 ₹485

-21.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$4.83 ₹458

176.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,380

$1.28 ₹121

32.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,520

$1.97 ₹187

20.30%

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

$4.78 ₹454

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,825

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,177

$0.74 ₹70.3

78.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,770

$0.28 ₹26.52

664.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$1.29 ₹123

556.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,112

$1.09 ₹104

19.27%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$12.6K ₹1.2M

121.64%

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

$35.4K COP 112.2M

$16.0K ₹1.5M

120.65%

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

$172 COP 545.3K

$34.74 ₹3,299

395.37%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$3.29 ₹313

306.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.0K

$6.12 ₹581

369.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.4K

$9.99 ₹948

352.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$5.11 ₹486

233.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$3.10 ₹294

102.58%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$27.65 ₹2,626

2685.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$1,164 ₹110.5K

674.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 273.8K

$17.41 ₹1,653

396.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.0K

$22.11 ₹2,100

158.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.6K

$36.74 ₹3,489

271.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.2K

$27.45 ₹2,606

256.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$210 ₹19.9K

403.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$131 ₹12.4K

371.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$727 ₹69.0K

160.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$284 ₹27.0K

260.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$442 ₹41.9K

47.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

7.38

48.24%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Shillong: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Shillong

$131 32.5% 78.8% $485

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Shillong

$86 21.3% 71% $209

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Shillong

$44 11% 79.4% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Shillong

$47 11.6% 72.6% $123

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Shillong

$76 19% 54.6% $92

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Shillong

$2.1 * 0.5% 97.7% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Shillong

$16 4% 72% $42

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $210 in Shillong. 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 48% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $11.00 in Shillong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $86.0 – making Shillong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇳 Shillong

🕒 Local time

19:29 7:29 PM

05:59 5:59 AM

10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

143,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.35 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,169 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,568 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.35 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Shillong 16,220 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Shillong

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 Shillong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 302%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $603 in Shillong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shillong, 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 $46.00 in Medellin and $11.00 in Shillong. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 244% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Shillong, where all-in costs run around $402, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Shillong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shillong – 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 Shillong. 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.