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: $2,269 in Ashford versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,205 in Ashford versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,141 in Ashford versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Ashford is roughly 120% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ashford is 70% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.00 £14.89

$6.16 COP 20.1K

224.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.6 £70.5

$32.60 COP 106.1K

190.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 £8.12

$7.34 COP 23.9K

48.64%

Cappuccino

$4.10 £3.05

$1.72 COP 5,599

138.37%

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

$2.86 £2.13

$1.05 COP 3,420

172.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 £1.52

$0.77 COP 2,515

164.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.27 £4.67

$1.69 COP 5,487

271.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 £4.58

$3.17 COP 10.3K

94.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.05 COP 3,423

81.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.30 COP 4,236

11.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 £2.08

$1.40 COP 4,544

99.29%

Eggs

$3.71 £2.76

$2.16 COP 7,046

71.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.27 £4.67

$4.39 COP 14.3K

42.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.81 £5.07

$5.88 COP 19.1K

15.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 £9.74

$8.64 COP 28.1K

51.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 £2.37

$2.28 COP 7,425

39.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 £1.48

$1.11 COP 3,603

79.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 £2.80

$1.53 COP 4,982

145.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.59 £2.68

$1.35 COP 4,410

165.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.13 COP 3,674

71.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 £1.54

$1.13 COP 3,692

83.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 £0.90

$0.85 COP 2,753

42.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.13

$0.91 COP 2,975

67.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.67 £14.64

$2.34 COP 7,629

740.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.27 £6.90

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-25.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 £2.64

$1.20 COP 3,909

195.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 £3.10

$2.49 COP 8,104

67.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.40 £2.53

$0.84 COP 2,727

304.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.2 £65.6

$40.57 COP 132.1K

117.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.82 £5.08

$1.42 COP 4,623

380.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.92 COP 6,235

-17.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$54.3 £40.41

$7.66 COP 24.9K

608.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$0.99 COP 3,223

89.90%

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

$24.1K £17.9K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

33.47%

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

$27.0K £20.1K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

1.33%

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

$254 £189

$80.8 COP 263.1K

214.91%

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

$15.60 £11.61

$9.95 COP 32.4K

56.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.17 £25.44

$24.18 COP 78.7K

41.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 £43.48

$25.08 COP 81.6K

132.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

Cinema Ticket

$16.36 £12.18

$3.98 COP 13.0K

311.06%

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

$2,230 £1,660

$305 COP 993.4K

630.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K £17.4K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

285.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.7 £63.8

$58.1 COP 189.2K

47.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.25 £21.77

$32.20 COP 104.8K

-9.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 £64.6

$101 COP 327.9K

-13.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 £68.1

$108 COP 350.8K

-15.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 £952

$477 COP 1.6M

168.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 £752

$376 COP 1.2M

168.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 £1,366

$845 COP 2.7M

117.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 £956

$730 COP 2.4M

75.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,378 £4,749

$3,215 COP 10.5M

98.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,798 £3,572

$1,372 COP 4.5M

249.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,508 £1,867

$617 COP 2.0M

306.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

13.43

-58.75%

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

Last update for Ashford: July 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,279 in Ashford and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashford pays 307% 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: $95.0 in Ashford vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $193 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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, Groceries & Markets, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 120% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 307% 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: $1,279 in Ashford versus $477 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 $33.00 versus $95.0 in Ashford. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,269 per month in Ashford versus $1,031 in Medellin – a 120% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $2,269 in Ashford, a $1,500 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 120% less than in Ashford. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.