Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tansen

For one person, living is cheaper in Tansen: $350 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in Tansen
Learn more

Tansen Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Tansen

🇳🇵 Nepal

$350

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Tansen

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $350 in Tansen, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Tansen $350

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $575 in Tansen, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Tansen $575

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $800 in Tansen, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Tansen $800

Medellin costs about 361% more than Tansen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Tansen is 74% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$1.93 NPR 293

310.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$20.45 NPR 3,107

125.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$7.81 NPR 1,187

21.64%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$1.57 NPR 238

98.09%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$0.50 NPR 75.4

266.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.15 NPR 22.57

820.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$3.21 NPR 488

-4.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$3.31 NPR 504

66.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$0.71 NPR 108

104.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$0.61 NPR 93.1

286.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$0.91 NPR 139

84.62%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$1.72 NPR 262

66.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$7.16 NPR 1,088

42.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$3.06 NPR 466

211.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$6.17 NPR 937

127.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$2.01 NPR 305

102.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.15 NPR 174

30.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$1.39 NPR 211

56.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$0.57 NPR 87.3

305.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$0.42 NPR 63.8

359.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$0.53 NPR 80.9

209.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$0.49 NPR 74.6

130.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.22 NPR 33.42

468.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$2.45 NPR 373

62.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$7.87 NPR 1,196

69.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$2.21 NPR 335

-23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$3.01 NPR 457

-21.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$1.84 NPR 280

-28.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$1.16 NPR 176

84.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$3.31 NPR 502

155.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.35 NPR 206

-3.70%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$29.6K NPR 4.5M

-5.44%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$36.0K NPR 5.5M

-1.60%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$32.05 NPR 4,870

436.94%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$3.40 NPR 517

293.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$8.96 NPR 1,361

220.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$2.89 NPR 439

117.30%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$64.9 NPR 9,862

1086.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$5,501 NPR 835.8K

63.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$24.97 NPR 3,795

246.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$27.05 NPR 4,109

111.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$64.5 NPR 9,799

111.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$28.28 NPR 4,297

246.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.72

12.55%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Tansen: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Tansen

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Tansen

$144 41.2% 51.1% $151

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Tansen

$44 12.7% 79.3% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Tansen

$65 18.6% 61.7% $105

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Tansen

$83 23.7% 50.7% $85

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Tansen

$7.6 * 2.2% 91.8% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Tansen

$5.8 * 1.7% 90% $52

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $20.00 in Tansen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $144 – making Tansen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇳🇵 Tansen

🕒 Local time

00:28 12:28 AM

11:13 11:13 AM

10 h 45 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

23,693

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NPR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.58 USD). 1 EUR = 171 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.85 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Tansen 15,610 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Tansen

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 Tansen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 361%, 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 $525 in Tansen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $20.00 in Tansen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 104% 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 Tansen, where all-in costs run around $350, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Tansen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tansen – 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 Tansen. 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.