Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Vellore

For one person, living is cheaper in Vellore: $259 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 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
12

Cost of Living Index in Vellore
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Vellore Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Vellore

🇮🇳 India

$259

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Vellore

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $259 in Vellore, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Vellore $259

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $450 in Vellore, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Vellore $450

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $640 in Vellore, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Vellore $640

Medellin costs about 533% more than Vellore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Vellore is 81% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$1.26 ₹119

542.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$7.09 ₹674

563.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$2.20 ₹209

331.82%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$2.05 ₹195

46.83%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.35 ₹33.62

414.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.11 ₹10.82

1181.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$1.62 ₹154

96.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$3.07 ₹291

87.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$0.52 ₹49.65

190.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.55 ₹52.1

332.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$0.61 ₹57.5

190.16%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$0.78 ₹74.2

270.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$1.93 ₹183

427.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$2.34 ₹222

321.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.54 ₹146

157.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$0.71 ₹67.0

118.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$0.85 ₹80.4

156.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$0.27 ₹25.45

707.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$0.32 ₹30.75

512.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$0.39 ₹37.41

307.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.30 ₹28.24

283.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.28 ₹26.71

342.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$1.55 ₹147

155.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$3.88 ₹368

252.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.64 ₹156

1.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$2.47 ₹235

-8.50%

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

$5.06 ₹481

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.24 ₹22.85

387.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$4.89 ₹464

1482.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$0.44 ₹42.00

188.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.30 ₹28.71

583.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$1.05 ₹100

714.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.06 ₹101

27.36%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$10.2K ₹965.1K

235.14%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$15.0K ₹1.4M

131.33%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$30.66 ₹2,911

453.33%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$3.98 ₹377

240.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$4.04 ₹384

594.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$8.39 ₹796

420.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$4.94 ₹469

247.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$2.31 ₹220

199.13%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$48.46 ₹4,601

1543.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$1,435 ₹136.2K

535.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$8.52 ₹809

894.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$19.39 ₹1,841

198.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$21.63 ₹2,054

523.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$25.38 ₹2,410

285.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$57.8 ₹5,488

1989.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$30.91 ₹2,934

1975.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$171 ₹16.3K

1082.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$161 ₹15.3K

528.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,117 ₹106.0K

273.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$661 ₹62.8K

188.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$307 ₹29.2K

113.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.5

68.31%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Vellore: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Vellore

$31 11.9% 95.2% $611

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Vellore

$78 30% 73.9% $219

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Vellore

$39 14.9% 81.7% $173

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Vellore

$57 22.2% 66.1% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Vellore

$34 13% 80% $135

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Vellore

$7.8 3% 91.7% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Vellore

$13 5% 77.4% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $58 in Vellore. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 2.1 times higher, 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 $7 in Vellore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $78 – making Vellore the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇳 Vellore

🕒 Local time

23:55 11:55 PM

10:25 10:25 AM

10 h 30 min ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

186,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.94 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Vellore 16,500 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Vellore

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 Vellore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 533%, 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 $389 in Vellore. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vellore, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $58 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $7 in Vellore. 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 $259 in Vellore. That makes Vellore about 84% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Vellore, where all-in costs run around $259, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Vellore it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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