Cost of Living Comparison Between Bristol and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Bristol and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,879 in Bristol versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,130 in Bristol versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,380 in Bristol versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Bristol is roughly 184% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bristol is 115% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.34 £15.15

$5.99 COP 21.4K

239.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 £77.3

$32.86 COP 117.2K

215.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.00

$7.09 COP 25.3K

51.62%

Cappuccino

$5.14 £3.83

$1.71 COP 6,105

200.58%

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

$2.70 £2.01

$1.10 COP 3,918

145.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.29

$0.78 COP 2,776

121.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.94 £5.92

$1.68 COP 5,987

372.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 £5.07

$3.07 COP 10.9K

121.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 £1.16

$1.09 COP 3,899

43.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 £1.75

$1.26 COP 4,500

86.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.38 COP 4,914

35.51%

Eggs

$4.18 £3.11

$2.19 COP 7,813

90.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.30 £9.16

$4.40 COP 15.7K

179.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 £8.46

$5.63 COP 20.1K

101.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.15 £9.05

$8.89 COP 31.7K

36.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 £2.52

$2.34 COP 8,334

44.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 £1.22

$1.06 COP 3,771

54.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 £2.03

$1.50 COP 5,365

82.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 £2.97

$1.38 COP 4,915

188.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 £1.52

$1.15 COP 4,104

77.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 £1.32

$1.16 COP 4,148

53.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 £0.89

$0.89 COP 3,176

34.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 £1.39

$0.84 COP 2,992

121.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.50 £15.27

$2.28 COP 8,131

799.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.83 £8.07

$10.64 COP 37.9K

1.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 £2.22

$1.20 COP 4,276

148.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 £2.01

$2.47 COP 8,809

9.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 £2.32

$0.86 COP 3,051

261.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$115 £85.5

$41.40 COP 147.6K

177.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.15

$1.47 COP 5,255

279.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 £1.26

$1.96 COP 6,997

-13.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.71 £20.64

$7.74 COP 27.6K

258.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.42

$0.95 COP 3,403

100.00%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

$18.1K COP 64.6M

110.70%

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

$35.3K £26.3K

$26.5K COP 94.4M

33.37%

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

$301 £224

$82.3 COP 293.2K

266.25%

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

$16.75 £12.48

$9.50 COP 33.9K

76.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.52 £33.90

$24.23 COP 86.4K

87.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.81 £37.10

$25.89 COP 92.3K

92.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.12 £7.54

$19.00 COP 67.7K

-46.74%

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 £10.22

$3.93 COP 14.0K

249.11%

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

$2,193 £1,633

$309 COP 1.1M

608.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K £18.0K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

305.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.6 £71.2

$58.7 COP 209.1K

62.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.61 £36.20

$32.35 COP 115.3K

50.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 £83.5

$103 COP 365.7K

9.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 £103

$108 COP 386.5K

27.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,852 £1,379

$476 COP 1.7M

288.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 £1,036

$379 COP 1.4M

267.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,094 £2,305

$838 COP 3.0M

269.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,285 £1,702

$724 COP 2.6M

215.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,918 £5,153

$2,791 COP 9.9M

147.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,209 £3,880

$1,211 COP 4.3M

330.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,777 £2,813

$512 COP 1.8M

637.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

13.43

-58.30%

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

Last update for Bristol: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,852 in Bristol and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bristol pays 638% 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: $104 in Bristol vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $330 vs $188 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

Bristol vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bristol and Medellin differ by about 184% in total monthly costs ($2,879 vs $1,013 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bristol pays 638% more on average, 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: $1,852 in Bristol versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Bristol. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $104 in Bristol. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,879 in Bristol, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Bristol. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Bristol 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 184% less than in Bristol. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.