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: $1,868 in Derry versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,671 in Derry versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,474 in Derry versus $2,167 in Medellin.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Derry is 40% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.81 €12.06

$6.16 COP 20.0K

124.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €53.5

$32.60 COP 106.0K

87.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.01 €7.00

$7.34 COP 23.9K

9.13%

Cappuccino

$4.31 €3.77

$1.72 COP 5,592

150.58%

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

$2.12 €1.85

$1.05 COP 3,416

101.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.40

$0.77 COP 2,511

107.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.29 €4.62

$1.69 COP 5,480

213.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.51 €4.82

$3.17 COP 10.3K

73.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.05 COP 3,418

43.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 €1.34

$1.30 COP 4,230

17.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 €1.88

$1.40 COP 4,538

53.57%

Eggs

$3.69 €3.22

$2.16 COP 7,037

70.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 €11.01

$4.39 COP 14.3K

187.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.18 €8.90

$5.88 COP 19.1K

73.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.09 €10.57

$8.64 COP 28.1K

39.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 €2.53

$2.28 COP 7,415

27.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 €1.44

$1.11 COP 3,599

48.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 €2.40

$1.53 COP 4,976

79.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 €3.08

$1.35 COP 4,405

161.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 €0.93

$1.13 COP 3,669

-6.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.13 COP 3,687

30.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 €0.91

$0.85 COP 2,749

23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.44

$0.91 COP 2,971

80.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.04 €14.01

$2.34 COP 7,619

585.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 €9.17

$12.37 COP 40.2K

-15.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 €2.04

$1.20 COP 3,904

95.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 €2.38

$2.49 COP 8,094

9.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 €2.15

$0.84 COP 2,724

194.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.8 €84.5

$40.57 COP 131.9K

138.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 €4.28

$1.42 COP 4,617

245.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.92 COP 6,227

-28.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.07 €38.50

$7.66 COP 24.9K

475.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.99 COP 3,219

110.10%

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

$42.3K €37.0K

$18.0K COP 58.6M

134.78%

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

$38.3K €33.5K

$26.6K COP 86.6M

43.83%

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

$215 €188

$80.8 COP 262.7K

166.55%

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

$21.28 €18.59

$9.95 COP 32.3K

113.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 €49.04

$24.18 COP 78.6K

132.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.45 €29.22

$25.08 COP 81.5K

33.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.03 €23.62

$19.15 COP 62.3K

41.15%

Cinema Ticket

$10.97 €9.58

$3.98 COP 13.0K

175.63%

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

$1,047 €915

$305 COP 992.2K

243.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,094 €7,072

$6,059 COP 19.7M

33.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.6 €80.0

$58.1 COP 189.0K

57.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.00 €34.95

$32.20 COP 104.7K

24.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.0

$101 COP 327.5K

2.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.6 €66.1

$108 COP 350.3K

-29.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 €630

$477 COP 1.5M

51.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 €621

$376 COP 1.2M

88.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,089

$845 COP 2.7M

47.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 €929

$730 COP 2.4M

45.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,019 €3,511

$3,215 COP 10.5M

24.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,747 €1,527

$1,372 COP 4.5M

27.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,498 €2,183

$617 COP 2.0M

305.07%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Derry and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Derry pays 305% 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: $61.0 in Derry vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $193 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.

Average pay runs 305% higher in Derry, 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: $721 in Derry versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,047 in Derry versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Derry. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,868 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.