Cost of Living Comparison Between Derry and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Derry and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,795 per month in Derry vs $1,716 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,640 per month in Derry vs $2,527 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,485 per month in Derry vs $3,338 in Medellin, rent included.

Derry costs about 5% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Derry and Medellin sit above the global median – Derry by 31%, Medellin by 25%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.95 £14.02

$8.03 COP 25.1K

135.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 £51.4

$48.26 COP 151.0K

43.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.95 £8.10

$9.77 COP 30.6K

12.08%

Cappuccino

$3.99 £2.95

$2.91 COP 9,107

37.11%

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

$2.16 £1.59

$1.94 COP 6,082

11.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.52 COP 4,760

8.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.39 £3.99

$3.09 COP 9,676

74.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 £4.53

$5.74 COP 18.0K

6.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.36 COP 4,267

27.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 £1.00

$2.39 COP 7,470

-43.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 £1.55

$1.70 COP 5,321

23.53%

Eggs

$3.30 £2.44

$2.87 COP 8,979

14.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.97 £5.90

$9.94 COP 31.1K

-19.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.24 £6.84

$10.78 COP 33.7K

-14.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.06 £14.10

$14.73 COP 46.1K

29.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 £2.00

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-33.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 £0.97

$1.57 COP 4,917

-16.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 £2.06

$2.13 COP 6,651

30.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 £2.36

$2.21 COP 6,926

44.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 £1.03

$2.05 COP 6,404

-31.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 £1.03

$1.50 COP 4,706

-6.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 £0.71

$1.19 COP 3,723

-19.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 £1.14

$1.16 COP 3,623

32.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.90 £16.21

$3.90 COP 12.2K

461.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.10 £8.21

$14.44 COP 45.2K

-23.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 £1.94

$1.58 COP 4,955

65.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 £2.39

$2.83 COP 8,847

14.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.78 £2.80

$1.17 COP 3,655

223.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.7 £70.8

$77.7 COP 243.2K

23.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 £3.94

$1.28 COP 4,019

316.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 £0.90

$2.09 COP 6,546

-42.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.83 £25.76

$8.62 COP 27.0K

304.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 £1.42

$1.30 COP 4,061

47.69%

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

$39.0K £28.8K

$27.7K COP 86.5M

40.95%

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

$41.7K £30.9K

$35.5K COP 111.1M

17.45%

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

$139 £103

$176 COP 550.9K

-21.24%

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

$15.90 £11.76

$13.37 COP 41.8K

18.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.78 £31.65

$29.89 COP 93.5K

43.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.04 £26.66

$44.76 COP 140.0K

-19.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.54 £10.01

$17.06 COP 53.4K

-20.63%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 £8.04

$6.20 COP 19.4K

75.32%

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

$933 £690

$793 COP 2.5M

17.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.2K £16.4K

$9,019 COP 28.2M

145.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.6 £72.2

$85.6 COP 267.8K

14.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.17 £29.72

$58.5 COP 182.9K

-31.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 £76.8

$136 COP 426.4K

-23.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.7 £47.09

$103 COP 322.6K

-38.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$869 £643

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-17.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 £508

$680 COP 2.1M

0.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 £964

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-35.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,019 £754

$1,169 COP 3.7M

-12.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,315 £3,932

$4,111 COP 12.9M

29.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,490 £2,582

$1,701 COP 5.3M

105.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.76

10.94

-56.49%

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

Last update for Derry: August 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $869 in Derry versus $1,060 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Derry versus $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $299 in Derry vs $303 in Medellin – so Derry wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Derry vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,795 in Derry, $1,716 in Medellin – roughly 5% apart. Derry costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,693 per month in Derry and $2,574 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.

Kindergarten costs $933 per month in Derry and $793 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Derry – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,716, than in Derry at $1,795. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Derry 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 $1,716 in Medellin to $1,795 in Derry. 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, Derry makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.