Cost of Living Comparison Between Cardiff and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cardiff and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,422 in Cardiff versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,441 in Cardiff versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,459 in Cardiff versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Cardiff is roughly 139% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cardiff is 81% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.31 £15.13

$5.99 COP 21.4K

239.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.7 £64.5

$32.86 COP 117.2K

163.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 £7.99

$7.09 COP 25.3K

51.20%

Cappuccino

$4.67 £3.48

$1.71 COP 6,105

173.10%

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

$2.47 £1.84

$1.10 COP 3,918

124.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 £1.27

$0.78 COP 2,776

119.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.76 £5.03

$1.68 COP 5,987

302.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 £4.64

$3.07 COP 10.9K

102.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.09 COP 3,899

77.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 £1.29

$1.26 COP 4,500

37.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 £2.23

$1.38 COP 4,914

116.67%

Eggs

$4.65 £3.46

$2.19 COP 7,813

112.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 £7.59

$4.40 COP 15.7K

131.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 £6.69

$5.63 COP 20.1K

59.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.59 £7.14

$8.89 COP 31.7K

7.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 £2.13

$2.34 COP 8,334

21.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.06 COP 3,771

50.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 £2.40

$1.50 COP 5,365

114.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 £4.18

$1.38 COP 4,915

307.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 £1.27

$1.15 COP 4,104

48.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.16 COP 4,148

31.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 £0.85

$0.89 COP 3,176

28.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 £1.24

$0.84 COP 2,992

97.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.98 £14.88

$2.28 COP 8,131

776.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 £8.35

$10.64 COP 37.9K

5.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 £2.45

$1.20 COP 4,276

174.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 £2.72

$2.47 COP 8,809

48.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.16 £2.35

$0.86 COP 3,051

267.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.5 £57.7

$41.40 COP 147.6K

87.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 £3.10

$1.47 COP 5,255

182.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 £1.92

$1.96 COP 6,997

31.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.27 £15.10

$7.74 COP 27.6K

161.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 £1.43

$0.95 COP 3,403

102.11%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$18.1K COP 64.6M

108.34%

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

$54.5K £40.6K

$26.5K COP 94.4M

105.76%

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

$294 £219

$82.3 COP 293.2K

257.50%

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

$20.08 £14.95

$9.50 COP 33.9K

111.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.76 £32.59

$24.23 COP 86.4K

80.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.71 £28.83

$25.89 COP 92.3K

49.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.51 £6.34

$19.00 COP 67.7K

-55.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 £5.71

$3.93 COP 14.0K

95.17%

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

$1,987 £1,480

$309 COP 1.1M

542.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.6K £25.1K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

464.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 £51.9

$58.7 COP 209.1K

18.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.31 £27.04

$32.35 COP 115.3K

12.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.2 £54.5

$103 COP 365.7K

-28.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.3 £49.40

$108 COP 386.5K

-38.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,333 £993

$476 COP 1.7M

179.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 £851

$379 COP 1.4M

201.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 £1,890

$838 COP 3.0M

202.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 £1,235

$724 COP 2.6M

129.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,553 £4,136

$2,791 COP 9.9M

98.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,455 £2,573

$1,211 COP 4.3M

185.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,236 £2,410

$512 COP 1.8M

532.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-55.32%

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

Last update for Cardiff: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,333 in Cardiff and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cardiff pays 532% 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: $87.0 in Cardiff vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 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

Cardiff vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cardiff and Medellin differ by about 139% in total monthly costs ($2,422 vs $1,013 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Cardiff pays 532% 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: $1,333 in Cardiff versus $476 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 $87.0 in Cardiff. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,422 per month in Cardiff versus $1,013 in Medellin – a 139% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,422 in Cardiff, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Cardiff. 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, Cardiff 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 139% less than in Cardiff. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.