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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,389 per month in Bolton vs $1,014 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,344 per month in Bolton vs $1,596 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,299 per month in Bolton vs $2,178 in Medellin, rent included.

Bolton costs about 135% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Bolton sits 77% above the global median, while Medellin is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.53 £15.21

$6.14 COP 22.2K

234.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.7 £59.8

$33.05 COP 119.3K

144.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 £7.69

$7.32 COP 26.4K

41.80%

Cappuccino

$4.80 £3.56

$1.66 COP 5,987

189.16%

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

$2.30 £1.71

$1.10 COP 3,987

109.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 £1.19

$0.78 COP 2,822

105.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 £5.17

$1.71 COP 6,188

308.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.52 £4.09

$3.17 COP 11.5K

74.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.11 COP 4,012

51.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 £1.27

$1.31 COP 4,719

31.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 £1.67

$1.38 COP 4,980

63.04%

Eggs

$4.07 £3.01

$2.22 COP 8,009

83.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 £7.71

$4.34 COP 15.7K

139.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 £6.18

$5.80 COP 20.9K

43.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 £12.50

$8.98 COP 32.4K

87.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 £2.38

$2.26 COP 8,164

42.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 £1.36

$1.11 COP 4,023

64.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 £2.31

$1.46 COP 5,284

113.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 £2.75

$1.37 COP 4,929

170.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 £1.35

$1.11 COP 4,009

63.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 £1.36

$1.16 COP 4,199

57.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 £0.98

$0.89 COP 3,211

49.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 £1.11

$0.87 COP 3,124

72.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.59 £13.78

$2.35 COP 8,495

691.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.33 £7.66

$10.86 COP 39.2K

-4.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 £1.87

$1.20 COP 4,330

110.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 £1.78

$2.48 COP 8,946

-3.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 £2.05

$0.79 COP 2,842

249.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.0 £65.2

$40.77 COP 147.2K

115.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 £3.92

$1.42 COP 5,137

272.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 £0.85

$1.91 COP 6,900

-39.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 £11.96

$7.65 COP 27.6K

110.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.39

$0.97 COP 3,490

93.81%

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

$39.0K £28.9K

$18.1K COP 65.3M

115.52%

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

$42.2K £31.3K

$26.3K COP 95.0M

60.34%

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

$299 £222

$81.3 COP 293.5K

267.91%

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

$17.25 £12.78

$9.63 COP 34.8K

79.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.30 £32.09

$24.36 COP 88.0K

77.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.43 £35.15

$26.02 COP 93.9K

82.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.52 £20.39

$18.92 COP 68.3K

45.45%

Cinema Ticket

$13.53 £10.03

$3.89 COP 14.0K

247.81%

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

$1,546 £1,146

$304 COP 1.1M

408.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K £9,877

$5,902 COP 21.3M

125.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 £60.4

$58.7 COP 211.8K

38.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 £31.65

$32.48 COP 117.2K

31.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 £63.9

$102 COP 367.3K

-15.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.7 £60.6

$108 COP 390.4K

-24.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 £889

$474 COP 1.7M

152.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 £801

$371 COP 1.3M

191.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,719 £1,274

$848 COP 3.1M

102.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,499 £1,110

$716 COP 2.6M

109.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 COP 10.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 COP 5.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,335 £3,212

$542 COP 2.0M

700.46%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,199 in Bolton versus $474 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 700% 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 $81 in Bolton versus $33 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $311 vs $190 – 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 135%, 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 $3,583 per month in Bolton and $1,522 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 116% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,546 per month in Bolton and $304 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 $1,014, than in Bolton at $2,389. 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.