Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Solan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Solan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $355 in Solan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $584 in Solan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $814 in Solan, rent included.

Medellin costs about 363% more than Solan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Solan is 74% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$1.29 ₹124

523.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$16.00 ₹1,528

201.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$3.17 ₹303

197.16%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$1.88 ₹180

56.38%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.30 ₹29.07

520.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.11 ₹10.33

1227.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.09 ₹199

53.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.33 ₹222

145.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$0.44 ₹41.57

227.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.57 ₹54.5

321.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$0.43 ₹41.12

295.35%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$0.70 ₹66.8

312.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$5.16 ₹493

94.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$2.26 ₹216

341.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.84 ₹176

116.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$0.74 ₹70.3

113.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$0.55 ₹52.9

290.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$0.49 ₹46.40

369.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.33 ₹31.89

506.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.43 ₹41.09

251.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.63 ₹60.0

90.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.30 ₹29.14

326.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.89 ₹276

32.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$7.45 ₹711

88.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.73 ₹166

-1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.69 ₹257

1.86%

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

$5.47 ₹523

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.25 ₹23.86

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$7.02 ₹671

1009.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.06 ₹102

23.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.25 ₹23.75

768.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$2.13 ₹204

289.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$0.94 ₹90.1

44.68%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$15.8K ₹1.5M

74.02%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$24.2K ₹2.3M

50.82%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$38.21 ₹3,651

341.56%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$2.64 ₹252

414.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$7.50 ₹716

277.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$14.27 ₹1,363

220.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$6.44 ₹615

167.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$2.15 ₹206

209.30%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$94.9 ₹9,065

746.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$1,728 ₹165.0K

431.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$21.94 ₹2,096

298.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$24.74 ₹2,363

139.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$47.46 ₹4,535

192.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$26.60 ₹2,541

283.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$124 ₹11.9K

762.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$73.4 ₹7,016

789.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$264 ₹25.2K

630.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$174 ₹16.6K

502.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$971 ₹92.8K

324.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$507 ₹48.4K

234.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

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 7, 2026

Last update for Solan: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $124 in Solan. 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 $16.00 in Solan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $97.0 – making Solan 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 Solan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 363%, 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 $2,462 per month in Medellin and $532 in Solan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Solan, 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 $16.00 in Solan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Medellin and $355 in Solan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Solan, where all-in costs run around $355, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Solan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Solan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Solan. 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.