Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Paro and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Paro: $153 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $17,800 less a year.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Paro

🇧🇹 Bhutan

$153

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Paro and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Paro and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $153 per month in Paro vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Paro $153
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $299 per month in Paro vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Paro $299
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $446 per month in Paro vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Paro $446
Medellin $3,186

Paro is about 91% cheaper than Medellin.

Paro sits 89% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 149.0K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,550

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

$1.80 COP 5,699

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,474

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.1K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,783

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,532

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,611

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,155

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.3K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,916

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,914

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,917

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,217

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,034

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,628

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,938

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.6K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,257

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,152

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,699

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 245.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,017

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,486

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,266

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

$34.1K COP 107.9M

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

$34.7K COP 109.8M

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

$170 COP 537.4K

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.9K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.59 BTN 342

$17.19 COP 54.4K

-79.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

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

$797 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.3K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.6K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.5K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$202 BTN 19.2K

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-83.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$153 BTN 14.6K

$642 COP 2.0M

-76.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 BTN 47.5K

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-75.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$442 BTN 42.1K

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-56.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Paro: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Paro

–

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Groceries & Markets

Paro

–

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Paro

–

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Eating Out

Paro

–

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Paro

–

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Getting Around

Paro

–

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Paro

–

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $202 in Paro versus $1,208 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Good to know

🇧🇹 Paro

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

07:16 7:16 AM

20:16 8:16 PM

11 h behind Paro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,448

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Bhutanese Ngultrum BTN Nu.

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BTN = 10.49 USD

1,000 BTN = 9.42 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to BTN – Bhutanese Ngultrum Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇹 Bhutanese Ngultrum (Nu.)

Bhutanese Ngultrum exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 95.29 BTN (100 BTN = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 BTN (1,000 BTN = 9.42 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 3,167 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,530 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

USD to BTN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Paro Medellin 15,940 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Paro
Medellin

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

Paro vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 973% more than Paro, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $229 per month in Paro and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Paro, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $202 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Paro, where all-in costs run around $153, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Paro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $153 in Paro to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.