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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,834 in Derry versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,671 in Derry versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,507 in Derry versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Derry is roughly 81% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Derry is 37% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.76 €11.83

$5.99 COP 21.4K

129.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.6 €53.0

$32.86 COP 117.4K

87.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 €7.25

$7.09 COP 25.3K

18.90%

Cappuccino

$4.18 €3.59

$1.71 COP 6,115

144.44%

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

$2.07 €1.78

$1.10 COP 3,924

88.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.40

$0.78 COP 2,781

107.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.28 €4.54

$1.68 COP 5,997

214.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 €4.69

$3.07 COP 11.0K

77.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.09 COP 3,906

36.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.38

$1.26 COP 4,508

27.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.38 COP 4,922

57.25%

Eggs

$3.57 €3.07

$2.19 COP 7,827

63.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.80 €11.01

$4.40 COP 15.7K

190.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 €8.99

$5.63 COP 20.1K

85.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.90 €10.23

$8.89 COP 31.8K

33.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 €2.57

$2.34 COP 8,349

27.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.06 COP 3,777

50.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 €2.44

$1.50 COP 5,374

88.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 €3.04

$1.38 COP 4,924

155.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.15 COP 4,111

-4.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.16 COP 4,155

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.89 COP 3,182

23.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.38

$0.84 COP 2,997

90.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 €13.80

$2.28 COP 8,145

603.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.98 €9.45

$10.64 COP 38.0K

3.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 €2.01

$1.20 COP 4,284

94.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 €2.35

$2.47 COP 8,824

10.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 €2.14

$0.86 COP 3,056

189.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.3 €83.7

$41.40 COP 147.9K

135.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 €4.36

$1.47 COP 5,264

244.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 €1.15

$1.96 COP 7,009

-31.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.22 €37.18

$7.74 COP 27.6K

458.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.95 COP 3,409

110.53%

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

$42.2K €36.3K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

132.66%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

48.26%

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

$220 €189

$82.3 COP 293.7K

166.94%

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

$21.63 €18.61

$9.50 COP 33.9K

127.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.8 €47.17

$24.23 COP 86.5K

126.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.24 €29.46

$25.89 COP 92.4K

32.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.98 €23.21

$19.00 COP 67.9K

42.00%

Cinema Ticket

$10.89 €9.36

$3.93 COP 14.0K

177.10%

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

$1,040 €894

$309 COP 1.1M

235.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,246 €7,093

$5,965 COP 21.3M

38.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 €77.3

$58.7 COP 209.5K

53.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.45 €33.94

$32.35 COP 115.5K

21.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.6

$103 COP 366.4K

-0.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.7 €65.1

$108 COP 387.2K

-30.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 €628

$476 COP 1.7M

53.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 €618

$379 COP 1.4M

89.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 €1,108

$838 COP 3.0M

53.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 €892

$724 COP 2.6M

43.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,424 €2,085

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-13.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,783 €1,533

$1,211 COP 4.3M

47.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,514 €2,163

$512 COP 1.8M

391.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.18

13.43

-68.88%

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

Last update for Derry: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Derry and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Derry pays 391% 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: $62.0 in Derry vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $188 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

Derry vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Derry pays 391% more on average, 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: $730 in Derry versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,040 in Derry versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Derry. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,834 in Derry, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Derry. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Derry, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Derry 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 81% less than in Derry. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.