Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Thane

For one person, living is cheaper in Thane: $542 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,589
/mo nomad
Thane
🇮🇳 India
$542
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Thane

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $542 in Thane, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,589
  • Thane $542

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $864 in Thane, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,364
  • Thane $864

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $1,185 in Thane, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,139
  • Thane $1,185

Medellin costs about 193% more than Thane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Thane is 60% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Thane
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.01 COP 25.5K
$4.59 ₹444
74.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.55 COP 148.3K
$15.85 ₹1,534
193.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.43 COP 30.1K
$4.24 ₹410
122.41%
Cappuccino
$2.91 COP 9,277
$1.63 ₹157
78.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 COP 5,585
$0.47 ₹45.68
272.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.32 COP 4,218
$0.22 ₹20.93
500.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.13 COP 9,969
$2.29 ₹222
36.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.55 COP 17.7K
$4.60 ₹445
20.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Thane
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 COP 4,495
$0.61 ₹59.4
131.15%
White Bread (500g)
$2.44 COP 7,777
$0.47 ₹45.69
419.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.63 COP 5,191
$0.77 ₹74.5
111.69%
Eggs
$2.82 COP 8,990
$1.11 ₹108
154.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.69 COP 30.9K
$5.14 ₹498
88.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.32 COP 29.7K
$3.08 ₹298
202.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.46 COP 42.9K
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$4.00 COP 12.8K
$2.69 ₹260
48.70%
Banana (1kg)
$1.48 COP 4,719
$0.88 ₹84.8
68.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.12 COP 6,768
$1.70 ₹165
24.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.25 COP 7,178
$0.47 ₹45.24
378.72%
Potato (1kg)
$1.91 COP 6,092
$0.35 ₹34.28
445.71%
Onion (1kg)
$1.62 COP 5,160
$0.30 ₹28.77
440.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,658
$0.41 ₹39.56
180.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 COP 4,021
$0.36 ₹34.95
250.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.82 COP 12.2K
$4.85 ₹470
-21.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.11 COP 41.8K
$8.39 ₹812
56.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 COP 5,083
$1.46 ₹141
9.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,188
$2.73 ₹265
-17.22%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
-
$3.87 ₹374
-
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Thane
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,731
$0.24 ₹23.24
387.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$75.0 COP 239.0K
$5.82 ₹563
1189.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,056
$0.54 ₹52.0
135.19%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,531
$0.30 ₹29.36
583.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.20 COP 26.1K
$1.55 ₹150
429.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 COP 4,046
$1.10 ₹106
15.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K COP 85.3M
$10.5K ₹1.0M
155.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.4K COP 109.6M
$23.3K ₹2.3M
47.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Thane
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$162 COP 516.9K
$48.86 ₹4,728
231.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.12 COP 41.8K
$4.25 ₹412
208.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.09 COP 89.5K
$6.31 ₹611
345.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Thane
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.33 COP 141.2K
$11.65 ₹1,127
280.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 COP 52.0K
$11.97 ₹1,159
36.42%
Cinema Ticket
$6.09 COP 19.4K
$4.26 ₹412
42.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Thane
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$764 COP 2.4M
$71.1 ₹6,882
974.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,904 COP 28.4M
$1,437 ₹139.1K
519.60%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Thane
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.0 COP 270.8K
$19.53 ₹1,890
335.07%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.5 COP 183.2K
$16.93 ₹1,639
239.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$132 COP 419.8K
$39.62 ₹3,834
232.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.8 COP 305.1K
$31.45 ₹3,044
204.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Thane
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,028 COP 3.3M
$270 ₹26.2K
280.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$604 COP 1.9M
$198 ₹19.2K
204.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,802 COP 5.7M
$613 ₹59.3K
193.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$993 COP 3.2M
$452 ₹43.8K
119.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,921 COP 12.5M
$1,850 ₹179.0K
111.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,639 COP 5.2M
$1,423 ₹137.7K
15.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Thane
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$626 COP 2.0M
$332 ₹32.1K
88.55%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
8.8
24.32%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Thane: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$604
Thane
$198 67.2% $406
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$288
Thane
$114 60.4% $174
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$203
Thane
$59 70.8% $144
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$166
Thane
$48 70.9% $118
Eating Out
Medellin
$166
Thane
$92 44.5% $74
Getting Around
Medellin
$91
Thane
$8.8 90.3% $82
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Thane
$20 64.3% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $270 in Thane. 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 89% 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $16.00 in Thane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $114 – making Thane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇮🇳 Thane
🕒 Local time
21:26 9:26 PM
07:56 7:56 AM
10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
1,841,488
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,574 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Thane 15,560 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Thane

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 Thane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Thane cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 193%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $813 in Thane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Thane, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Thane?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $16.00 in Thane. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Thane?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Medellin and $542 in Thane. That's a gap of about 193%.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Thane?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Thane, where all-in costs run around $542, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Thane it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Thane more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Thane – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Medellin or Thane?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Thane. 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.

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