Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brighton and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,950 in Brighton, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Brighton
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,950
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,625
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,950 in Brighton versus $1,625 in Medellin.

  • Brighton $2,950
  • Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,214 in Brighton versus $2,412 in Medellin.

  • Brighton $4,214
  • Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,479 in Brighton versus $3,199 in Medellin.

  • Brighton $5,479
  • Medellin $3,199

Living in Brighton is roughly 82% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brighton 118% above, Medellin 20% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brighton
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.54 £19.16
$8.30 COP 26.3K
207.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$92.8 £69.6
$46.91 COP 148.7K
97.80%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.77 £7.33
$9.24 COP 29.3K
5.74%
Cappuccino
$5.33 £4.00
$3.05 COP 9,676
74.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.93 £2.95
$1.80 COP 5,707
118.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.33 £2.50
$1.38 COP 4,382
141.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.96 £6.72
$3.24 COP 10.3K
176.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.49 £7.12
$5.56 COP 17.6K
70.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brighton
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 £1.47
$1.50 COP 4,760
30.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.06 £1.54
$2.37 COP 7,508
-13.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.12 £1.59
$1.70 COP 5,377
24.71%
Eggs
$4.53 £3.40
$2.96 COP 9,379
53.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.10 £9.08
$10.22 COP 32.4K
18.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.40 £7.05
$9.74 COP 30.9K
-3.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.08 £11.31
$13.90 COP 44.1K
8.49%
Apples (1kg)
$2.95 £2.22
$4.13 COP 13.1K
-28.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.91 £1.43
$1.53 COP 4,839
24.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.90 £2.17
$2.22 COP 7,052
30.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.76 £2.82
$2.27 COP 7,194
65.64%
Potato (1kg)
$2.24 £1.68
$1.99 COP 6,311
12.56%
Onion (1kg)
$1.80 £1.35
$1.67 COP 5,285
7.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.20 £0.90
$1.18 COP 3,742
1.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.65 £1.24
$1.24 COP 3,919
33.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.98 £17.99
$3.87 COP 12.3K
519.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.11 £8.33
$13.78 COP 43.7K
-19.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.08 £2.31
$1.66 COP 5,256
85.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.24 £2.43
$2.40 COP 7,615
35.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Brighton
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.94 £2.96
$1.24 COP 3,944
217.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$128 £96.4
$78.2 COP 248.0K
64.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.07 £3.81
$1.28 COP 4,044
296.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.62 £1.96
$2.15 COP 6,803
21.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.62 £29.72
$8.37 COP 26.5K
373.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.09 £1.57
$1.35 COP 4,288
54.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.4K £28.8K
$34.8K COP 110.2M
10.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.1K £30.9K
$34.7K COP 110.0M
18.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brighton
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$291 £218
$167 COP 528.4K
74.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.90 £12.68
$13.62 COP 43.2K
24.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.87 £33.66
$29.12 COP 92.3K
54.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brighton
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.2 £38.38
$45.09 COP 143.0K
13.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.89 £20.17
$17.18 COP 54.5K
56.52%
Cinema Ticket
$17.32 £12.99
$6.97 COP 22.1K
148.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brighton
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,062 £1,547
$790 COP 2.5M
160.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$30.8K £23.1K
$9,041 COP 28.7M
240.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brighton
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.9 £67.5
$87.8 COP 278.4K
2.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.51 £34.14
$58.2 COP 184.4K
-21.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 £76.8
$139 COP 440.7K
-26.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.7 £68.1
$98.9 COP 313.5K
-8.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brighton
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,887 £1,416
$1,028 COP 3.3M
83.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,480 £1,110
$620 COP 2.0M
138.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,833 £2,125
$1,881 COP 6.0M
50.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,233 £1,675
$1,008 COP 3.2M
121.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,467 £6,352
$3,988 COP 12.6M
112.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,148 £4,612
$1,702 COP 5.4M
261.22%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brighton
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,380 £2,536
$663 COP 2.1M
409.62%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.12
10.94
-53.20%

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

Last update for Brighton: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Brighton
$1.5K
Medellin
$619 58.1% $860
Eating Out
Brighton
$390
Medellin
$171 56.3% $220
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brighton
$353
Medellin
$209 40.7% $143
Groceries & Markets
Brighton
$331
Medellin
$298 10% $33
Getting Around
Brighton
$162
Medellin
$95 41.4% $67
Clothing & Footwear
Brighton
$148
Medellin
$173 16.8% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Brighton
$86
Medellin
$59 31.2% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,887 in Brighton and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brighton pays 410% 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: $93.0 in Brighton vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $331 vs $298 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Brighton
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
16:16 4:16 PM
10:16 10:16 AM
6 h behind Brighton
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
256,000
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 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
  • Brighton Medellin 8,450 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Brighton
  • 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
Brighton vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Brighton and in Medellin?
Brighton and Medellin differ by about 82% in total monthly costs ($2,950 vs $1,625 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Brighton or Medellin?
Average pay runs 410% higher in Brighton, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Brighton and in Medellin?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,887 in Brighton versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Brighton and Medellin?
Childcare runs $2,062 in Brighton versus $790 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Brighton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
At $1,625 in Medellin versus $2,950 in Brighton, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Brighton. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Brighton and Medellin?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Brighton or Medellin safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Brighton 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.
Where should expats move: Brighton or Medellin?
Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Brighton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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