Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thiruvananthapuram and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Thiruvananthapuram: $391 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Thiruvananthapuram
🇮🇳 India
$391
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $391 per month in Thiruvananthapuram vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Thiruvananthapuram $391
  • Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $615 per month in Thiruvananthapuram vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Thiruvananthapuram $615
  • Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $840 per month in Thiruvananthapuram vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Thiruvananthapuram $840
  • Medellin $3,190

Thiruvananthapuram is about 76% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Thiruvananthapuram sits 71% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Thiruvananthapuram
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.53 ₹240
$7.93 COP 25.2K
-68.10%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$10.30 ₹978
$46.13 COP 146.3K
-77.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.56 ₹338
$9.50 COP 30.1K
-62.53%
Cappuccino
$1.83 ₹174
$3.11 COP 9,866
-41.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.40 ₹37.90
$1.83 COP 5,800
-78.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.19 ₹18.28
$1.38 COP 4,360
-86.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.04 ₹194
$3.05 COP 9,672
-33.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 ₹254
$5.50 COP 17.4K
-51.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Thiruvananthapuram
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.56 ₹53.5
$1.45 COP 4,600
-61.38%
White Bread (500g)
$0.53 ₹50.3
$2.36 COP 7,496
-77.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.56 ₹53.3
$1.68 COP 5,328
-66.67%
Eggs
$0.88 ₹83.1
$2.86 COP 9,077
-69.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.43 ₹516
$10.19 COP 32.3K
-46.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.69 ₹255
$9.53 COP 30.2K
-71.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$14.04 COP 44.5K
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.21 ₹210
$4.07 COP 12.9K
-45.70%
Banana (1kg)
$0.81 ₹77.3
$1.50 COP 4,742
-46.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.15 ₹109
$2.17 COP 6,891
-47.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.45 ₹43.04
$2.31 COP 7,310
-80.52%
Potato (1kg)
$0.44 ₹41.89
$1.93 COP 6,113
-77.20%
Onion (1kg)
$0.49 ₹46.16
$1.64 COP 5,196
-70.12%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.57 ₹53.8
$1.13 COP 3,571
-49.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.30 ₹28.81
$1.25 COP 3,954
-76.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.47 ₹424
$3.99 COP 12.6K
12.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.36 ₹509
$13.35 COP 42.3K
-59.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₹167
$1.70 COP 5,384
2.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.07 ₹292
$2.37 COP 7,525
29.54%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
$4.76 ₹452
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Thiruvananthapuram
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.20 ₹18.96
$1.21 COP 3,827
-83.47%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$2.91 ₹276
$76.5 COP 242.5K
-96.20%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.68 ₹160
$1.32 COP 4,179
27.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.25 ₹23.54
$2.14 COP 6,774
-88.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.58 ₹245
$8.47 COP 26.8K
-69.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.11 ₹105
$1.30 COP 4,114
-14.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$13.7K ₹1.3M
$28.0K COP 88.7M
-51.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.9K ₹2.9M
$35.4K COP 112.3M
-12.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Thiruvananthapuram
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$35.03 ₹3,327
$172 COP 545.6K
-79.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$3.42 ₹325
$13.37 COP 42.4K
-74.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$7.76 ₹737
$28.73 COP 91.1K
-72.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Thiruvananthapuram
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$14.02 ₹1,332
$45.24 COP 143.5K
-69.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.77 ₹737
$17.04 COP 54.0K
-54.40%
Cinema Ticket
$2.11 ₹201
$6.28 COP 19.9K
-66.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Thiruvananthapuram
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$37.77 ₹3,587
$770 COP 2.4M
-95.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,091 ₹198.5K
$9,011 COP 28.6M
-76.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Thiruvananthapuram
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$21.80 ₹2,071
$86.4 COP 274.0K
-74.77%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$17.95 ₹1,705
$57.1 COP 181.1K
-68.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$36.91 ₹3,505
$137 COP 432.9K
-72.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$27.57 ₹2,618
$97.9 COP 310.4K
-71.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Thiruvananthapuram
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$175 ₹16.6K
$1,055 COP 3.3M
-83.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$98.9 ₹9,390
$616 COP 2.0M
-83.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$361 ₹34.3K
$1,892 COP 6.0M
-80.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$214 ₹20.3K
$1,023 COP 3.2M
-79.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$851 ₹80.8K
$4,059 COP 12.9M
-79.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$453 ₹43.0K
$1,678 COP 5.3M
-73.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Thiruvananthapuram
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$241 ₹22.9K
$652 COP 2.1M
-63.08%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.31
10.94
-5.76%

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

Last update for Thiruvananthapuram: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Thiruvananthapuram
$103
Medellin
$295 186% $192
Accommodation & Living
Thiruvananthapuram
$99
Medellin
$616 523% $517
Eating Out
Thiruvananthapuram
$71
Medellin
$168 138% $98
Clothing & Footwear
Thiruvananthapuram
$47
Medellin
$170 263% $123
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Thiruvananthapuram
$46
Medellin
$214 364% $168
Sport & Entertainment
Thiruvananthapuram
$18
Medellin
$58 217% $40
Getting Around
Thiruvananthapuram
$6.6
Medellin
$93 1308% $87

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $175 in Thiruvananthapuram versus $1,055 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 171% 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 $10.00 in Thiruvananthapuram versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $103 vs $295 – making Thiruvananthapuram the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇳 Thiruvananthapuram
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
21:22 9:22 PM
10:52 10:52 AM
10 h 30 min behind Thiruvananthapuram
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
744,983
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Thiruvananthapuram Medellin 16,560 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Thiruvananthapuram
  • 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
Thiruvananthapuram vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Thiruvananthapuram?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 313%, 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 $586 per month in Thiruvananthapuram and $2,421 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 Thiruvananthapuram, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Thiruvananthapuram or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $10.00 in Thiruvananthapuram and $46.00 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 Thiruvananthapuram and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $391 in Thiruvananthapuram and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 313%.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Thiruvananthapuram or in Medellin?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Thiruvananthapuram, where all-in costs run around $391, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Thiruvananthapuram it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Thiruvananthapuram or Medellin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Thiruvananthapuram – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Thiruvananthapuram or Medellin?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Thiruvananthapuram. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Thiruvananthapuram vs other spots: cost of living compared

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