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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,731 per month in Derry vs $1,031 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,602 per month in Derry vs $1,599 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,472 per month in Derry vs $2,167 in Medellin, rent included.

Derry costs about 68% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Derry sits 30% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 £13.07

$6.16 COP 20.0K

185.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.9 £60.9

$32.60 COP 106.0K

151.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 £7.05

$7.34 COP 23.9K

29.16%

Cappuccino

$4.43 £3.29

$1.72 COP 5,592

157.56%

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

$2.13 £1.59

$1.05 COP 3,416

102.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 £1.11

$0.77 COP 2,511

93.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.71 £4.24

$1.69 COP 5,480

237.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 £4.44

$3.17 COP 10.3K

88.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 £1.33

$1.05 COP 3,418

70.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 £1.01

$1.30 COP 4,230

3.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 £1.51

$1.40 COP 4,538

45.00%

Eggs

$3.39 £2.52

$2.16 COP 7,037

56.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 £7.48

$4.39 COP 14.3K

129.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 £7.07

$5.88 COP 19.1K

61.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.97 £10.38

$8.64 COP 28.1K

61.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 £1.99

$2.28 COP 7,415

17.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 £0.95

$1.11 COP 3,599

15.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 £2.19

$1.53 COP 4,976

92.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 £2.79

$1.35 COP 4,405

177.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 £1.04

$1.13 COP 3,669

23.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 £1.00

$1.13 COP 3,687

19.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 £0.74

$0.85 COP 2,749

17.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 £1.16

$0.91 COP 2,971

72.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.21 £15.76

$2.34 COP 7,619

806.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.73 £7.97

$12.37 COP 40.2K

-13.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 £1.94

$1.20 COP 3,904

118.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 £2.50

$2.49 COP 8,094

35.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.75 £2.79

$0.84 COP 2,724

346.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.3 £40.35

$40.57 COP 131.9K

33.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.50 £4.09

$1.42 COP 4,617

287.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 £1.68

$1.92 COP 6,227

17.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.66 £19.82

$7.66 COP 24.9K

248.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$0.99 COP 3,219

88.89%

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

$39.0K £29.0K

$18.0K COP 58.6M

116.14%

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

$38.5K £28.6K

$26.6K COP 86.6M

44.65%

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

$137 £102

$80.8 COP 262.7K

70.07%

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

$16.13 £11.99

$9.95 COP 32.3K

62.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 £29.77

$24.18 COP 78.6K

65.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.24 £26.94

$25.08 COP 81.5K

44.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.74 £10.21

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-28.25%

Cinema Ticket

$10.85 £8.06

$3.98 COP 13.0K

172.61%

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

$1,163 £865

$305 COP 992.2K

281.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K £13.4K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

198.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.9 £73.6

$58.1 COP 189.0K

70.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 £30.01

$32.20 COP 104.7K

25.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 £79.6

$101 COP 327.5K

6.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.9 £48.21

$108 COP 350.3K

-39.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 £622

$477 COP 1.5M

75.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 £498

$376 COP 1.2M

77.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 £965

$845 COP 2.7M

53.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$988 £734

$730 COP 2.4M

35.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,490 £4,081

$3,215 COP 10.5M

70.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

13.43

-60.39%

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

Last update for Derry: July 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $836 in Derry versus $477 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 $82.0 in Derry versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $193 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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: $1,731 in Derry, $1,031 in Medellin – roughly 68% apart. Derry costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,596 per month in Derry and $1,546 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 $1,163 per month in Derry and $305 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 53% more in Derry, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,031, than in Derry at $1,731. 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 $1,031 in Medellin to $1,731 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.