Cost of Living Comparison Between Derby and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Derby and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,225 in Derby versus $1,028 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,268 in Derby versus $1,586 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,311 in Derby versus $2,144 in Medellin.

Living in Derby is roughly 116% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Derby is 67% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.38 A$23.34

$6.00 COP 20.6K

173.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 A$110

$32.84 COP 112.9K

134.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 A$14.20

$7.42 COP 25.5K

34.23%

Cappuccino

$3.41 A$4.86

$1.65 COP 5,675

106.67%

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

$2.52 A$3.60

$1.07 COP 3,673

135.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.05

$0.76 COP 2,614

181.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.49 A$9.25

$1.72 COP 5,925

277.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 A$10.34

$3.20 COP 11.0K

126.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.11

$1.05 COP 3,607

40.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 A$3.41

$1.31 COP 4,492

82.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 A$2.79

$1.34 COP 4,604

46.27%

Eggs

$4.46 A$6.36

$2.19 COP 7,543

103.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 A$12.43

$4.41 COP 15.2K

97.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.36 A$11.92

$5.69 COP 19.6K

46.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.76 A$19.61

$8.52 COP 29.3K

61.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 A$4.69

$2.34 COP 8,046

40.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.90

$1.11 COP 3,815

146.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 A$4.07

$1.52 COP 5,225

88.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 A$5.91

$1.37 COP 4,694

202.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.58

$1.15 COP 3,962

118.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$3.00

$1.18 COP 4,055

77.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 A$3.09

$0.84 COP 2,893

158.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 A$2.23

$0.86 COP 2,940

81.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.41 A$43.34

$2.26 COP 7,776

1245.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 A$20.09

$11.60 COP 39.9K

21.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.47 A$6.37

$1.20 COP 4,121

272.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 A$7.57

$2.48 COP 8,508

114.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 A$3.63

$0.79 COP 2,729

222.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.7 A$93.7

$40.83 COP 140.4K

61.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 A$5.23

$1.47 COP 5,038

149.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 A$2.27

$1.92 COP 6,587

-17.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.00 A$48.46

$7.77 COP 26.7K

337.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.68

$1.01 COP 3,474

16.83%

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

$28.7K A$40.9K

$17.7K COP 60.7M

62.56%

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

$22.9K A$32.7K

$26.5K COP 90.9M

-13.38%

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

$180 A$256

$81.1 COP 278.8K

121.52%

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

$27.53 A$39.25

$9.43 COP 32.4K

191.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 A$76.2

$23.86 COP 82.0K

124.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.35 A$70.4

$25.99 COP 89.4K

89.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.69 A$22.36

$18.71 COP 64.3K

-16.14%

Cinema Ticket

$12.80 A$18.25

$4.09 COP 14.1K

212.96%

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

$1,636 A$2,332

$315 COP 1.1M

420.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K A$17.4K

$6,022 COP 20.7M

102.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 A$95.2

$59.7 COP 205.2K

11.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 A$72.6

$31.97 COP 109.9K

59.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$144

$101 COP 347.9K

0.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 A$151

$105 COP 361.3K

0.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 A$1,798

$485 COP 1.7M

159.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 A$1,523

$365 COP 1.3M

192.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 A$2,827

$827 COP 2.8M

139.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 A$2,437

$730 COP 2.5M

134.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,631 A$8,027

$2,992 COP 10.3M

88.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,393 A$7,688

$1,314 COP 4.5M

310.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

13.43

-52.79%

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

Last update for Derby: June 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,262 in Derby and $485 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $77.0 in Derby vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 vs $190 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

Derby vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Derby and Medellin differ by about 116% in total monthly costs ($2,225 vs $1,028 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,337 in Derby and $1,542 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,262 in Derby versus $485 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Derby. 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 $77.0 in Derby. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,028 in Medellin versus $2,225 in Derby, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Derby. 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, Derby 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 116% less than in Derby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.