Cost of Living Comparison Between Bolton and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Bolton and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,360 per month in Bolton vs $1,031 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,324 per month in Bolton vs $1,599 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,289 per month in Bolton vs $2,167 in Medellin, rent included.

Bolton costs about 129% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Bolton sits 77% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.36 £15.16

$6.16 COP 20.1K

230.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.1 £59.6

$32.60 COP 106.1K

145.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 £7.56

$7.34 COP 23.9K

38.42%

Cappuccino

$4.81 £3.58

$1.72 COP 5,599

179.65%

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

$2.27 £1.69

$1.05 COP 3,420

116.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 £1.16

$0.77 COP 2,515

102.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.99 £5.20

$1.69 COP 5,487

313.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.49 £4.09

$3.17 COP 10.3K

73.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 £1.27

$1.05 COP 3,423

62.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 £1.33

$1.30 COP 4,236

36.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 £1.59

$1.40 COP 4,544

52.86%

Eggs

$3.97 £2.96

$2.16 COP 7,046

83.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 £7.67

$4.39 COP 14.3K

134.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 £6.22

$5.88 COP 19.1K

42.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.00 £12.66

$8.64 COP 28.1K

96.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 £2.40

$2.28 COP 7,425

41.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 £1.38

$1.11 COP 3,603

66.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 £2.27

$1.53 COP 4,982

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 £2.79

$1.35 COP 4,410

177.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 £1.33

$1.13 COP 3,674

58.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.13 COP 3,692

65.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.94

$0.85 COP 2,753

48.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 £1.10

$0.91 COP 2,975

61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.54 £13.80

$2.34 COP 7,629

692.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 £7.57

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-17.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 £1.90

$1.20 COP 3,909

113.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 £1.79

$2.49 COP 8,104

-3.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.79 £2.08

$0.84 COP 2,727

232.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.8 £64.6

$40.57 COP 132.1K

113.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 £4.10

$1.42 COP 4,623

288.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 £0.86

$1.92 COP 6,235

-40.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.58 £12.35

$7.66 COP 24.9K

116.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$0.99 COP 3,223

92.93%

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

$38.7K £28.8K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

114.44%

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

$41.8K £31.1K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

56.91%

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

$303 £225

$80.8 COP 263.1K

274.40%

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

$17.03 £12.68

$9.95 COP 32.4K

71.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.65 £31.76

$24.18 COP 78.7K

76.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.37 £36.01

$25.08 COP 81.6K

92.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.57 £20.52

$19.15 COP 62.3K

43.97%

Cinema Ticket

$13.81 £10.28

$3.98 COP 13.0K

246.98%

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

$1,602 £1,192

$305 COP 993.4K

424.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K £10.0K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

122.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 £60.7

$58.1 COP 189.2K

40.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.08 £32.07

$32.20 COP 104.8K

33.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 £63.6

$101 COP 327.9K

-15.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.9 £61.7

$108 COP 350.8K

-23.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,176 £875

$477 COP 1.6M

146.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,101 £820

$376 COP 1.2M

192.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,719 £1,280

$845 COP 2.7M

103.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 £1,074

$730 COP 2.4M

97.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,120 £3,067

$617 COP 2.0M

567.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.8

13.43

-56.81%

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

Last update for Bolton: July 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,176 in Bolton versus $477 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 568% higher in Bolton, 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 $80.0 in Bolton versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $311 vs $193 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Bolton vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bolton is pricier by about 129%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,539 per month in Bolton and $1,546 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 114% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,602 per month in Bolton and $305 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,031, than in Bolton at $2,360. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bolton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bolton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.