Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rourkela and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Rourkela: $305 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Rourkela, India
Medellin, Colombia
Rourkela
🇮🇳 India
$305
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rourkela 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 Rourkela and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $305 per month in Rourkela vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Rourkela $305
  • Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $531 per month in Rourkela vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Rourkela $531
  • Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $758 per month in Rourkela vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Rourkela $758
  • Medellin $3,186

Rourkela is about 81% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rourkela sits 78% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rourkela
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.62 ₹155
$8.09 COP 25.6K
-79.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$10.39 ₹989
$47.05 COP 148.9K
-77.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.15 ₹395
$9.50 COP 30.1K
-56.32%
Cappuccino
$1.38 ₹132
$3.01 COP 9,540
-54.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.25 ₹23.72
$1.80 COP 5,693
-86.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.16 ₹14.81
$1.41 COP 4,469
-88.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.55 ₹148
$3.18 COP 10.0K
-51.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08 ₹293
$5.75 COP 18.2K
-46.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rourkela
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.48 ₹45.35
$1.51 COP 4,778
-68.21%
White Bread (500g)
$0.39 ₹36.76
$2.38 COP 7,524
-83.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.37 ₹35.25
$1.77 COP 5,606
-79.10%
Eggs
$0.82 ₹78.2
$2.89 COP 9,146
-71.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$2.62 ₹249
$10.19 COP 32.2K
-74.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.67 ₹254
$9.87 COP 31.2K
-72.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$13.99 COP 44.3K
-
Apples (1kg)
$1.54 ₹147
$3.97 COP 12.6K
-61.21%
Banana (1kg)
$0.69 ₹65.5
$1.55 COP 4,911
-55.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.62 ₹58.9
$2.18 COP 6,907
-71.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.28 ₹26.62
$2.18 COP 6,910
-87.16%
Potato (1kg)
$0.25 ₹23.84
$1.96 COP 6,210
-87.24%
Onion (1kg)
$0.24 ₹22.96
$1.59 COP 5,029
-84.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.49 ₹46.20
$1.15 COP 3,625
-57.39%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.33 ₹30.96
$1.24 COP 3,934
-73.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.12 ₹487
$3.96 COP 12.5K
29.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.99 ₹760
$13.68 COP 43.3K
-41.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.87 ₹178
$1.66 COP 5,252
12.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 ₹240
$2.26 COP 7,145
11.50%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
$6.96 ₹663
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Rourkela
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.16 ₹15.53
$1.17 COP 3,696
-86.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.71 ₹734
$77.4 COP 244.8K
-90.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.03 ₹98.3
$1.27 COP 4,013
-18.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.20 ₹19.04
$2.05 COP 6,480
-90.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.06 ₹197
$8.55 COP 27.1K
-75.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.10 ₹105
$1.35 COP 4,262
-18.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$9,608 ₹914.8K
$34.1K COP 107.8M
-71.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.7K ₹1.5M
$34.7K COP 109.7M
-54.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rourkela
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$23.19 ₹2,208
$170 COP 536.8K
-86.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$3.35 ₹319
$13.55 COP 42.9K
-75.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$6.71 ₹639
$28.07 COP 88.8K
-76.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rourkela
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$14.33 ₹1,364
$43.70 COP 138.3K
-67.21%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.14 ₹585
$17.19 COP 54.4K
-64.28%
Cinema Ticket
$3.22 ₹307
$6.91 COP 21.9K
-53.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rourkela
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$76.4 ₹7,276
$797 COP 2.5M
-90.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,320 ₹220.9K
$9,112 COP 28.8M
-74.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rourkela
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$23.65 ₹2,251
$84.7 COP 268.1K
-72.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.17 ₹2,491
$58.0 COP 183.4K
-54.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$36.51 ₹3,476
$135 COP 427.1K
-72.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$32.64 ₹3,108
$97.9 COP 309.7K
-66.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rourkela
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$123 ₹11.7K
$1,208 COP 3.8M
-89.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$42.07 ₹4,006
$642 COP 2.0M
-93.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$263 ₹25.1K
$2,028 COP 6.4M
-87.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$188 ₹17.9K
$1,012 COP 3.2M
-81.44%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$881 ₹83.9K
$4,170 COP 13.2M
-78.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$478 ₹45.5K
$1,910 COP 6.0M
-74.96%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rourkela
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 ₹79.2K
$657 COP 2.1M
26.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.17
10.94
-16.18%

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

Last update for Rourkela: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Rourkela
$88
Medellin
$297 239% $209
Eating Out
Rourkela
$58
Medellin
$170 195% $112
Clothing & Footwear
Rourkela
$54
Medellin
$169 216% $115
Accommodation & Living
Rourkela
$42
Medellin
$642 1425% $599
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rourkela
$33
Medellin
$211 535% $178
Sport & Entertainment
Rourkela
$21
Medellin
$58 177% $37
Getting Around
Rourkela
$10
Medellin
$94 800% $83

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $123 in Rourkela 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.

Salaries run about 27% higher in Rourkela, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $10 in Rourkela versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $88 vs $297 – making Rourkela the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇳 Rourkela
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
06:14 6:14 AM
19:44 7:44 PM
10 h 30 min behind Rourkela
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
210,300
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

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 = 9.43 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rourkela Medellin 16,200 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Rourkela
  • 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
Rourkela vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rourkela cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 437%, 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 $458 per month in Rourkela and $2,459 in Medellin. 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 Rourkela, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $123 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Rourkela or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $10 in Rourkela and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Rourkela and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $305 in Rourkela and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Rourkela about 81% cheaper.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Rourkela or in Medellin?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Rourkela, where all-in costs run around $305, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Rourkela it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Rourkela or Medellin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Rourkela – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Rourkela is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 81% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

Rourkela vs other spots: cost of living compared

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