Cost of Living Comparison Between Chelmsford and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Chelmsford and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,538 in Chelmsford versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,937 in Chelmsford versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,336 in Chelmsford versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Chelmsford is roughly 51% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chelmsford 86% above, Medellin 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.88 £20.09

$8.02 COP 25.0K

235.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 £44.09

$47.87 COP 149.4K

23.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.17 £6.85

$9.89 COP 30.8K

-7.28%

Cappuccino

$5.02 £3.75

$3.13 COP 9,767

60.38%

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

$3.11 £2.33

$1.91 COP 5,954

62.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.35

$1.51 COP 4,712

19.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.39 £5.52

$3.12 COP 9,747

136.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.22 £5.40

$5.75 COP 17.9K

25.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 £1.32

$1.44 COP 4,509

22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 £1.78

$2.49 COP 7,759

-4.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 £2.17

$1.77 COP 5,535

63.84%

Eggs

$3.52 £2.63

$2.96 COP 9,235

18.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.62 £6.44

$10.07 COP 31.4K

-14.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.74 £6.53

$10.12 COP 31.6K

-13.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.24 £10.64

$14.30 COP 44.6K

-0.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 £1.80

$4.14 COP 12.9K

-42.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.61 COP 5,019

-4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.81 £2.85

$2.25 COP 7,007

69.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 £2.54

$2.25 COP 7,028

51.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 £1.33

$2.04 COP 6,375

-12.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.54 COP 4,790

5.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 £0.89

$1.17 COP 3,651

1.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 £1.37

$1.31 COP 4,077

39.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.71 £17.72

$3.90 COP 12.2K

507.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 £9.06

$14.01 COP 43.7K

-13.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 £2.26

$1.74 COP 5,439

73.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 £2.71

$2.87 COP 8,956

26.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.93 £2.94

$1.22 COP 3,792

222.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 £53.1

$80.5 COP 251.1K

-11.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 £3.54

$1.31 COP 4,084

261.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 £1.30

$2.19 COP 6,825

-20.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.96 £20.15

$8.71 COP 27.2K

209.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 £1.50

$1.37 COP 4,260

46.72%

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

$39.0K £29.2K

$27.8K COP 86.9M

40.21%

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

$42.0K £31.4K

$35.8K COP 111.6M

17.34%

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

$269 £201

$177 COP 553.2K

51.60%

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

$15.00 £11.21

$13.88 COP 43.3K

8.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.24 £27.08

$29.72 COP 92.8K

21.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 £37.86

$44.88 COP 140.1K

12.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$17.53 £13.10

$6.65 COP 20.7K

163.61%

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

$1,909 £1,427

$813 COP 2.5M

134.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K £9,963

$9,187 COP 28.7M

45.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 £76.3

$89.5 COP 279.3K

14.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.68 £34.13

$59.0 COP 184.0K

-22.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.6 £72.2

$138 COP 431.2K

-30.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.0 £66.5

$102 COP 318.7K

-12.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,585 £1,184

$1,062 COP 3.3M

49.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 £915

$663 COP 2.1M

84.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,698 £2,016

$1,888 COP 5.9M

42.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,599 £1,942

$1,027 COP 3.2M

152.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,974 £2,222

$678 COP 2.1M

338.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.21

10.94

-52.38%

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

Last update for Chelmsford: September 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,585 in Chelmsford and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chelmsford pays 339% 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: $59.0 in Chelmsford vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $305 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

Chelmsford vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chelmsford and Medellin differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($2,538 vs $1,681 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 339% higher in Chelmsford, 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: $1,585 in Chelmsford versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,909 in Chelmsford versus $813 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Chelmsford. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,681 in Medellin versus $2,538 in Chelmsford, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Chelmsford. 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, Chelmsford 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 51% less than in Chelmsford. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.