Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shimla and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Shimla: $310 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

15

Cost of Living Index in Shimla
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Shimla Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Shimla

🇮🇳 India

$310

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $310 per month in Shimla vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Shimla $310
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $504 per month in Shimla vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Shimla $504
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $698 per month in Shimla vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Shimla $698
Medellin $3,186

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

Shimla sits 77% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.56 ₹148

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-80.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.47 ₹994

$47.05 COP 151.7K

-77.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.09 ₹294

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-67.47%

Cappuccino

$0.92 ₹87.1

$3.01 COP 9,722

-69.44%

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

$0.34 ₹32.11

$1.80 COP 5,801

-81.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.11 ₹10.39

$1.41 COP 4,554

-92.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.64 ₹156

$3.18 COP 10.2K

-48.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ₹196

$5.75 COP 18.5K

-64.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.67 ₹64.0

$1.51 COP 4,869

-55.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.42 ₹40.25

$2.38 COP 7,667

-82.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 ₹60.2

$1.77 COP 5,712

-64.41%

Eggs

$0.89 ₹84.9

$2.89 COP 9,320

-69.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 ₹411

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-57.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.18 ₹302

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-67.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ₹178

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-52.90%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 ₹71.9

$1.55 COP 5,005

-50.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.63 ₹60.0

$2.18 COP 7,039

-71.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.48 ₹45.38

$2.18 COP 7,041

-77.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 ₹28.64

$1.96 COP 6,328

-84.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 ₹34.25

$1.59 COP 5,125

-77.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.22 ₹20.93

$1.15 COP 3,694

-80.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 ₹25.55

$1.24 COP 4,009

-78.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₹321

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-14.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.57 ₹814

$13.68 COP 44.1K

-37.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₹147

$1.66 COP 5,352

-7.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ₹194

$2.26 COP 7,281

-9.73%

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

$3.80 ₹361

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₹20.92

$1.17 COP 3,766

-81.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.84 ₹745

$77.4 COP 249.5K

-89.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ₹102

$1.27 COP 4,089

-15.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ₹31.84

$2.05 COP 6,603

-83.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 ₹97.2

$8.55 COP 27.6K

-88.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₹104

$1.35 COP 4,343

-19.26%

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

$8,462 ₹803.5K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-75.16%

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

$18.1K ₹1.7M

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-47.90%

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

$18.17 ₹1,725

$170 COP 547.0K

-89.29%

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

$3.13 ₹297

$13.55 COP 43.7K

-76.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.02 ₹667

$28.07 COP 90.5K

-74.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.85 ₹1,315

$43.70 COP 140.9K

-68.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.63 ₹1,009

$17.19 COP 55.4K

-38.16%

Cinema Ticket

$3.07 ₹291

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-55.57%

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

$42.11 ₹3,998

$797 COP 2.6M

-94.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,173 ₹206.3K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-76.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.76 ₹2,351

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-70.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.97 ₹2,086

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-62.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.31 ₹3,733

$135 COP 435.2K

-70.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.41 ₹2,508

$97.9 COP 315.6K

-73.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$86.4 ₹8,199

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-92.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$53.3 ₹5,060

$642 COP 2.1M

-91.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$199 ₹18.9K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-90.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$125 ₹11.9K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-87.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$563 ₹53.4K

$4,170 COP 13.4M

-86.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$563 ₹53.4K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-70.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$612 ₹58.1K

$657 COP 2.1M

-6.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.25

10.94

-24.59%

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

Last update for Shimla: 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

Shimla

$99 32.1%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 199% $198

Accommodation & Living

Shimla

$53 17.2%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 1104% $588

Clothing & Footwear

Shimla

$51 16.3%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 234% $118

Eating Out

Shimla

$47 15.1%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 262% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shimla

$28 9.1%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 646% $183

Sport & Entertainment

Shimla

$20 6.5%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 188% $38

Getting Around

Shimla

$11 3.7%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 716% $82

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $86 in Shimla 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 7% 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 $10 in Shimla versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $99 vs $297 – making Shimla the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Shimla

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

21:15 9:15 PM

10:45 10:45 AM

10 h 30 min behind Shimla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

170,000

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shimla Medellin 14,950 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Shimla
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

Shimla vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 429%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $465 per month in Shimla 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 Shimla, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $86 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $10 in Shimla and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $310 in Shimla and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Shimla about 81% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Shimla, where all-in costs run around $310, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Shimla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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