Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colchester and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,298 in Colchester, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Colchester
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Colchester Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Colchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,298

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,298 per month in Colchester vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Colchester $2,298
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $3,409 per month in Colchester vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Colchester $3,409
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $4,521 per month in Colchester vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Colchester $4,521
Medellin $3,190

Colchester costs about 42% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Colchester and Medellin sit above the global median – Colchester by 70%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.69 £15.52

$7.93 COP 25.2K

160.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.0 £69.1

$46.13 COP 146.3K

99.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 £7.96

$9.50 COP 30.1K

11.68%

Cappuccino

$5.41 £4.06

$3.11 COP 9,866

73.95%

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

$2.72 £2.04

$1.83 COP 5,800

48.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 £1.33

$1.38 COP 4,360

28.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.07 £5.30

$3.05 COP 9,672

131.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 £5.22

$5.50 COP 17.4K

26.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 £1.08

$1.45 COP 4,600

-0.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 £1.04

$2.36 COP 7,496

-41.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 £1.26

$1.68 COP 5,328

Eggs

$2.98 £2.23

$2.86 COP 9,077

4.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.21 £6.91

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-9.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.58 £5.69

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-20.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.47 £10.86

$14.04 COP 44.5K

3.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 £2.37

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-22.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 £1.04

$1.50 COP 4,742

-7.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 £2.10

$2.17 COP 6,891

28.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.28 £2.46

$2.31 COP 7,310

41.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 £1.19

$1.93 COP 6,113

-17.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 £1.09

$1.64 COP 5,196

-11.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 £1.26

$1.13 COP 3,571

48.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 £1.05

$1.25 COP 3,954

12.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.30 £17.48

$3.99 COP 12.6K

483.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.73 £8.05

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-19.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 £2.07

$1.70 COP 5,384

62.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 £2.64

$2.37 COP 7,525

48.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.72 £2.79

$1.21 COP 3,827

207.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 £75.6

$76.5 COP 242.5K

31.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 £4.33

$1.32 COP 4,179

337.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 £1.01

$2.14 COP 6,774

-36.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.93 £15.70

$8.47 COP 26.8K

147.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 £1.53

$1.30 COP 4,114

56.92%

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

$38.1K £28.6K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

36.20%

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

$39.7K £29.8K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

12.22%

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

$252 £189

$172 COP 545.6K

46.17%

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

$24.86 £18.65

$13.37 COP 42.4K

85.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.54 £31.16

$28.73 COP 91.1K

44.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 £50.8

$45.24 COP 143.5K

49.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.75 £8.07

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-36.91%

Cinema Ticket

$21.25 £15.94

$6.28 COP 19.9K

238.38%

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

$1,061 £796

$770 COP 2.4M

37.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K £15.1K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

123.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.7 £53.1

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-18.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.15 £23.37

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-45.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 £58.6

$137 COP 432.9K

-42.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.87 £37.41

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-49.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 £943

$1,055 COP 3.3M

19.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 £771

$616 COP 2.0M

66.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,855 £1,392

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-1.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 £1,263

$1,023 COP 3.2M

64.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,983 £3,739

$4,059 COP 12.9M

22.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,357 £2,519

$1,678 COP 5.3M

100.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,499 £2,625

$652 COP 2.1M

436.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.91

10.94

-55.12%

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

Last update for Colchester: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Colchester

$1K 44.7%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 40.1% $412

Eating Out

Colchester

$330 14.3%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 48.9% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colchester

$318 13.8%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 32.6% $104

Groceries & Markets

Colchester

$281 12.2%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 4.9% $14

Getting Around

Colchester

$128 5.6%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 27.2% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Colchester

$110 4.8%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 47.6% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Colchester

$103 4.5%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 64.5% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,256 in Colchester versus $1,055 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 436% higher in Colchester, 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 $92.0 in Colchester versus $46.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $281 in Colchester vs $295 in Medellin – so Colchester wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Colchester

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

04:42 4:42 AM

22:42 10:42 PM

6 h behind Colchester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

190,098

2,486,723

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

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).

USD to GBP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Colchester Medellin 8,530 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Colchester
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

Colchester vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,298 in Colchester, $1,614 in Medellin – roughly 42% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,447 per month in Colchester and $2,421 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 32% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,061 per month in Colchester and $770 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Colchester at $2,298. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Colchester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,614 in Medellin to $2,298 in Colchester. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Colchester makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.