Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,142 in Durham versus $1,641 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,397 in Durham versus $2,447 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,652 in Durham versus $3,253 in Medellin.

Living in Durham is roughly 30% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Durham 55% above, Medellin 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 £14.72

$8.04 COP 24.8K

147.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.1 £68.8

$48.29 COP 148.6K

92.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 £8.67

$9.42 COP 29.0K

24.42%

Cappuccino

$4.63 £3.42

$2.94 COP 9,040

57.48%

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

$2.59 £1.91

$1.86 COP 5,735

39.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 £1.62

$1.46 COP 4,479

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 £4.54

$3.21 COP 9,882

91.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 £3.94

$5.71 COP 17.6K

-6.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 £1.48

$1.44 COP 4,428

38.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 £1.14

$2.40 COP 7,389

-35.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 £2.21

$1.70 COP 5,228

75.88%

Eggs

$4.61 £3.41

$2.89 COP 8,896

59.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 £7.49

$10.06 COP 30.9K

0.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.08 £6.71

$9.97 COP 30.7K

-8.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.25 £16.45

$14.20 COP 43.7K

56.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 £2.23

$3.98 COP 12.3K

-24.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 £1.91

$1.58 COP 4,878

63.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 £2.15

$2.15 COP 6,624

35.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 £3.82

$2.30 COP 7,078

124.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 £1.17

$2.00 COP 6,169

-21.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 £1.25

$1.51 COP 4,646

12.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 £0.81

$1.20 COP 3,701

-9.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 £1.44

$1.28 COP 3,946

52.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.43 £18.06

$3.84 COP 11.8K

536.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 £8.23

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-20.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.36 £2.48

$1.71 COP 5,256

96.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 £2.46

$2.74 COP 8,440

21.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 £2.42

$1.25 COP 3,834

162.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.4 £65.3

$77.9 COP 239.7K

13.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.73 £4.97

$1.31 COP 4,016

413.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 £1.45

$2.17 COP 6,680

-9.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.35 £18.00

$8.29 COP 25.5K

193.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.45

$1.36 COP 4,172

44.12%

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

$39.5K £29.2K

$27.5K COP 84.5M

43.74%

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

$41.4K £30.6K

$36.5K COP 112.4M

13.34%

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

$263 £195

$169 COP 519.2K

56.05%

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

$15.14 £11.19

$13.57 COP 41.8K

11.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.63 £32.99

$28.32 COP 87.2K

57.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.03 £35.50

$45.71 COP 140.7K

5.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$13.03 £9.63

$6.65 COP 20.5K

95.94%

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

$1,354 £1,001

$803 COP 2.5M

68.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.1K £19.3K

$9,190 COP 28.3M

184.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 £79.3

$87.4 COP 268.8K

22.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$72.8 £53.8

$59.4 COP 182.7K

22.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 £84.5

$139 COP 427.5K

-17.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 £73.0

$102 COP 314.0K

-3.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 £1,204

$1,071 COP 3.3M

52.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$759 £561

$653 COP 2.0M

16.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,747 £2,030

$1,925 COP 5.9M

42.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,627 £1,202

$1,048 COP 3.2M

55.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,162 £3,815

$4,123 COP 12.7M

25.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,960 £2,927

$1,697 COP 5.2M

133.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,168 £1,603

$655 COP 2.0M

231.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.18

10.94

-52.65%

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

Last update for Durham: September 6, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,629 in Durham and $1,071 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham pays 231% 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: $93.0 in Durham vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $358 vs $300 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

Durham vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Durham and Medellin differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($2,142 vs $1,641 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 231% higher in Durham, 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: $1,629 in Durham versus $1,071 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,142 per month in Durham versus $1,641 in Medellin – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 13% less than in Durham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,641 in Medellin versus $2,142 in Durham, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Durham. 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, Durham 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 30% less than in Durham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.