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: $2,532 in Fort William versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,652 in Fort William versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,772 in Fort William versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Fort William is roughly 48% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fort William 84% above, Medellin 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.55 £15.20

$8.03 COP 25.1K

155.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.0 £65.9

$48.26 COP 151.0K

84.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.78 £7.98

$9.77 COP 30.6K

10.34%

Cappuccino

$4.71 £3.48

$2.91 COP 9,107

61.86%

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

$2.65 £1.96

$1.94 COP 6,082

36.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 £1.50

$1.52 COP 4,760

33.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.75 £5.00

$3.09 COP 9,676

118.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 £5.10

$5.74 COP 18.0K

20.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 £1.13

$1.36 COP 4,267

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 £1.38

$2.39 COP 7,470

-22.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 £1.41

$1.70 COP 5,321

11.76%

Eggs

$3.65 £2.70

$2.87 COP 8,979

27.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.84 £6.54

$9.94 COP 31.1K

-11.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.68 £7.90

$10.78 COP 33.7K

-0.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.67 £11.59

$14.73 COP 46.1K

6.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 £2.23

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-26.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 £1.04

$1.57 COP 4,917

-10.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 £1.56

$2.13 COP 6,651

-0.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 £2.89

$2.21 COP 6,926

76.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 £0.87

$2.05 COP 6,404

-42.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 £1.03

$1.50 COP 4,706

-6.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 £0.97

$1.19 COP 3,723

9.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.16 COP 3,623

42.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.48 £15.89

$3.90 COP 12.2K

450.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.25 £8.32

$14.44 COP 45.2K

-22.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 £2.02

$1.58 COP 4,955

72.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 £2.33

$2.83 COP 8,847

11.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.65 £2.70

$1.17 COP 3,655

211.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.8 £70.2

$77.7 COP 243.2K

22.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 £3.08

$1.28 COP 4,019

225.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 £1.82

$2.09 COP 6,546

17.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.18 £17.89

$8.62 COP 27.0K

180.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 £1.53

$1.30 COP 4,061

59.23%

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

$38.7K £28.6K

$27.7K COP 86.5M

39.87%

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

$41.3K £30.6K

$35.5K COP 111.1M

16.41%

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

$390 £288

$176 COP 550.9K

121.37%

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

$29.91 £22.13

$13.37 COP 41.8K

123.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.10 £33.36

$29.89 COP 93.5K

50.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.61 £35.22

$44.76 COP 140.0K

6.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$11.79 £8.72

$6.20 COP 19.4K

90.16%

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

$1,803 £1,334

$793 COP 2.5M

127.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K £17.8K

$9,019 COP 28.2M

167.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 £74.2

$85.6 COP 267.8K

17.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.08 £36.31

$58.5 COP 182.9K

-16.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £78.3

$136 COP 426.4K

-22.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 £87.5

$103 COP 322.6K

14.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 £929

$1,060 COP 3.3M

18.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 £766

$680 COP 2.1M

52.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 £1,584

$2,012 COP 6.3M

6.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,705 £1,262

$1,169 COP 3.7M

45.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,275 £3,903

$4,111 COP 12.9M

28.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,675 £2,719

$1,701 COP 5.3M

116.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,062 £1,525

$665 COP 2.1M

209.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.11

10.94

-53.29%

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

Last update for Fort William: August 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,256 in Fort William and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort William pays 210% 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: $89.0 in Fort William vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $308 vs $303 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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 210% 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: $1,256 in Fort William versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% 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 $48.00 versus $89.0 in Fort William. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,716 in Medellin versus $2,532 in Fort William, a $2,500 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 48% less than in Fort William. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.