Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort William and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort William and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,447 in Fort William versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,523 in Fort William versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Fort William versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Fort William is roughly 137% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fort William is 83% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.80 £16.23

$6.16 COP 20.1K

253.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.4 £61.4

$32.60 COP 106.1K

152.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 £7.40

$7.34 COP 23.9K

35.56%

Cappuccino

$4.73 £3.52

$1.72 COP 5,599

175.00%

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

$2.03 £1.51

$1.05 COP 3,420

93.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 £1.14

$0.77 COP 2,515

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.29 £4.68

$1.69 COP 5,487

272.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 £4.95

$3.17 COP 10.3K

109.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 £1.10

$1.05 COP 3,423

40.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.30 COP 4,236

29.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.40 COP 4,544

33.57%

Eggs

$3.55 £2.64

$2.16 COP 7,046

64.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.77 £6.53

$4.39 COP 14.3K

99.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.73 £7.99

$5.88 COP 19.1K

82.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.86 £10.32

$8.64 COP 28.1K

60.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 £2.20

$2.28 COP 7,425

29.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 £0.98

$1.11 COP 3,603

18.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 £1.55

$1.53 COP 4,982

35.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 £3.05

$1.35 COP 4,410

202.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 £0.86

$1.13 COP 3,674

2.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 £1.02

$1.13 COP 3,692

22.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.86

$0.85 COP 2,753

36.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 £1.04

$0.91 COP 2,975

53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.00 £14.14

$2.34 COP 7,629

711.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 £8.28

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-10.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 £1.62

$1.20 COP 3,909

80.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 £1.72

$2.49 COP 8,104

-7.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.30 £2.46

$0.84 COP 2,727

292.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.3 £65.0

$40.57 COP 132.1K

115.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.89 £3.64

$1.42 COP 4,623

244.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 £1.24

$1.92 COP 6,235

-13.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.28 £25.52

$7.66 COP 24.9K

347.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$0.99 COP 3,223

88.89%

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

$38.4K £28.6K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

113.17%

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

$41.2K £30.7K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

54.67%

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

$388 £289

$80.8 COP 263.1K

380.24%

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

$24.26 £18.06

$9.95 COP 32.4K

143.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.27 £34.45

$24.18 COP 78.7K

91.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.23 £33.68

$25.08 COP 81.6K

80.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 £6.66

$3.98 COP 13.0K

124.87%

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

$1,836 £1,367

$305 COP 993.4K

501.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K £11.2K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

148.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.0 £62.6

$58.1 COP 189.2K

44.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.66 £30.27

$32.20 COP 104.8K

26.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 £71.7

$101 COP 327.9K

-4.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 £88.7

$108 COP 350.8K

10.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 £918

$477 COP 1.6M

158.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,001 £745

$376 COP 1.2M

166.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,074 £1,544

$845 COP 2.7M

145.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,679 £1,250

$730 COP 2.4M

129.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,250 £3,909

$3,215 COP 10.5M

63.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,008 £1,495

$617 COP 2.0M

225.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.2

13.43

-53.83%

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

Last update for Fort William: July 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,233 in Fort William and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort William pays 226% 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: $82.0 in Fort William vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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

Fort William vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 137% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 226% higher in Fort William, 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: $1,233 in Fort William versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Fort William. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $82.0 in Fort William. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $2,447 in Fort William, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Fort William. 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 Fort William, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 137% less than in Fort William. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.