Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Varanasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Varanasi: $290 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
14

Cost of Living Index in Varanasi
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Varanasi Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Varanasi

🇮🇳 India

$290

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Varanasi

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $290 in Varanasi, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Varanasi $290

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $475 in Varanasi, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Varanasi $475

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $661 in Varanasi, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Varanasi $661

Medellin costs about 466% more than Varanasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Varanasi is 79% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$1.83 ₹174

342.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$7.76 ₹738

506.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$3.19 ₹303

197.81%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$1.59 ₹151

89.31%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$0.42 ₹39.71

328.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$0.10 ₹9.99

1310.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$1.54 ₹147

106.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$2.06 ₹196

179.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$0.61 ₹58.3

147.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$0.31 ₹29.62

667.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$0.53 ₹50.7

233.96%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$0.84 ₹80.1

244.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$3.14 ₹299

224.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$2.13 ₹203

363.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$1.36 ₹130

191.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$0.66 ₹63.0

134.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

$0.96 ₹91.0

127.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$0.32 ₹30.04

581.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$0.24 ₹22.67

716.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

$0.24 ₹22.77

562.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

$0.45 ₹43.03

155.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$0.28 ₹26.78

342.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$3.20 ₹305

23.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$5.73 ₹546

138.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

$1.58 ₹151

5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

$1.90 ₹181

18.95%

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

$4.12 ₹392

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

$0.54 ₹51.9

116.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

$9.74 ₹927

694.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

$0.26 ₹24.91

388.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

$0.11 ₹10.03

1763.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

$1.07 ₹102

699.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$1.11 ₹106

21.62%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

$11.2K ₹1.1M

202.90%

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

$21.8K ₹2.1M

58.90%

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

$170 COP 536.8K

$12.55 ₹1,195

1251.79%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$3.62 ₹344

274.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$7.04 ₹670

298.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$12.58 ₹1,197

247.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$3.02 ₹288

128.81%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$38.76 ₹3,690

1955.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

$990 ₹94.3K

820.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

$22.78 ₹2,168

271.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

$25.17 ₹2,397

130.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

$37.77 ₹3,596

257.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

$25.59 ₹2,437

282.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$111 ₹10.6K

983.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$47.39 ₹4,512

1253.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$194 ₹18.5K

944.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$138 ₹13.1K

634.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

$571 ₹54.3K

630.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$345 ₹32.8K

454.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$571 ₹54.3K

15.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.53

28.25%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Varanasi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Varanasi

$47 16.4% 92.6% $594

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Varanasi

$81 27.8% 72.9% $216

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Varanasi

$23 8% 89% $188

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Varanasi

$57 19.7% 66.3% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Varanasi

$50 17.3% 70.4% $119

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Varanasi

$13 4.4% 86.4% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Varanasi

$19 6.4% 67.6% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $111 in Varanasi. 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 15% 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 in Medellin versus $8 in Varanasi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $81 – making Varanasi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇳 Varanasi

🕒 Local time

03:59 3:59 AM

14:29 2:29 PM

10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

3,100,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.41 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,531 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 95.21 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.41 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Varanasi 15,810 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Varanasi

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 Varanasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 466%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $435 in Varanasi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Varanasi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $111 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $8 in Varanasi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $290 in Varanasi. That makes Varanasi about 82% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Varanasi, where all-in costs run around $290, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Varanasi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Varanasi – 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 Varanasi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.