Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashford and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashford and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,470 in Ashford versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,407 in Ashford versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,344 in Ashford versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Ashford is roughly 44% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ashford 80% above, Medellin 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.21 £15.68

$8.03 COP 25.2K

164.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 £59.1

$48.26 COP 151.7K

65.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 £7.92

$9.77 COP 30.7K

9.62%

Cappuccino

$5.73 £4.24

$2.91 COP 9,149

96.91%

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

$2.70 £2.00

$1.94 COP 6,110

39.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 £1.35

$1.52 COP 4,783

20.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 £2.96

$3.09 COP 9,721

29.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 £5.41

$5.74 COP 18.1K

27.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 £1.10

$1.36 COP 4,287

9.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 £0.95

$2.39 COP 7,505

-46.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 £1.27

$1.70 COP 5,346

1.18%

Eggs

$3.35 £2.48

$2.87 COP 9,021

16.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.29 £3.91

$9.94 COP 31.2K

-46.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.94 £5.13

$10.78 COP 33.9K

-35.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.19 £11.23

$14.73 COP 46.3K

3.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 £2.49

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-17.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 £1.07

$1.57 COP 4,940

-7.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 £2.14

$2.13 COP 6,682

36.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.36 £2.48

$2.21 COP 6,959

52.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 £1.26

$2.05 COP 6,435

-16.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 £1.06

$1.50 COP 4,728

-4.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 £1.07

$1.19 COP 3,740

21.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.13

$1.16 COP 3,640

31.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.68 £13.81

$3.90 COP 12.2K

378.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.66 £7.14

$14.44 COP 45.4K

-33.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 £2.04

$1.58 COP 4,978

74.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 £2.75

$2.83 COP 8,889

31.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.18 £3.09

$1.17 COP 3,672

257.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$148 £110

$77.7 COP 244.3K

90.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 £4.53

$1.28 COP 4,038

378.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 £1.23

$2.09 COP 6,576

-20.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.80 £16.11

$8.62 COP 27.1K

152.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.44

$1.30 COP 4,080

50.00%

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

$34.7K £25.6K

$27.7K COP 86.9M

25.36%

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

$40.6K £30.0K

$35.5K COP 111.6M

14.48%

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

$256 £189

$176 COP 553.4K

45.13%

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

$18.44 £13.63

$13.37 COP 42.0K

37.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.63 £28.56

$29.89 COP 94.0K

29.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.8 £46.44

$44.76 COP 140.7K

40.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.03 £14.07

$17.06 COP 53.6K

11.55%

Cinema Ticket

$21.03 £15.55

$6.20 COP 19.5K

239.19%

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

$1,091 £807

$793 COP 2.5M

37.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K £15.1K

$9,019 COP 28.4M

126.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 £52.2

$85.6 COP 269.1K

-17.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.44 £21.02

$58.5 COP 183.8K

-51.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 £58.7

$136 COP 428.4K

-41.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 £73.8

$103 COP 324.1K

-3.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 £852

$1,060 COP 3.3M

8.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,161 £858

$680 COP 2.1M

70.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 £1,285

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-13.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 £1,105

$1,169 COP 3.7M

27.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,441 £4,761

$4,111 COP 12.9M

56.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,889 £3,614

$1,701 COP 5.3M

187.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,537 £1,875

$665 COP 2.1M

281.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.91

10.94

-55.12%

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

Last update for Ashford: August 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,153 in Ashford and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashford pays 281% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $80.0 in Ashford vs $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $271 vs $303, with Ashford cheaper for home cooking.

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

Ashford vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 281% higher in Ashford, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,153 in Ashford versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $80.0 in Ashford. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,470 per month in Ashford versus $1,716 in Medellin – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,716 in Medellin versus $2,470 in Ashford, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ashford. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ashford, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ashford and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Ashford. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.