Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Glasgow and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,505 per month in Glasgow vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,735 per month in Glasgow vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,966 per month in Glasgow vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Glasgow costs about 147% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Glasgow sits 87% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.19 £15.04

$5.99 COP 21.4K

237.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.0 £73.0

$32.86 COP 117.2K

198.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.35 £6.97

$7.09 COP 25.3K

31.88%

Cappuccino

$4.76 £3.54

$1.71 COP 6,105

178.36%

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

$2.18 £1.63

$1.10 COP 3,918

98.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 £1.07

$0.78 COP 2,776

83.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 £4.97

$1.68 COP 5,987

297.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.72 £5.00

$3.07 COP 10.9K

118.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.09 COP 3,899

62.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 £1.22

$1.26 COP 4,500

30.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 £1.97

$1.38 COP 4,914

91.30%

Eggs

$3.85 £2.87

$2.19 COP 7,813

75.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.17 £7.58

$4.40 COP 15.7K

131.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 £6.86

$5.63 COP 20.1K

63.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.83 £10.30

$8.89 COP 31.7K

55.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 £2.43

$2.34 COP 8,334

39.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 £1.33

$1.06 COP 3,771

68.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 £2.51

$1.50 COP 5,365

124.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.69 £2.75

$1.38 COP 4,915

167.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 £1.23

$1.15 COP 4,104

43.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.16 COP 4,148

64.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 £0.91

$0.89 COP 3,176

37.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 £1.18

$0.84 COP 2,992

89.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.49 £16.00

$2.28 COP 8,131

842.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.31 £8.42

$10.64 COP 37.9K

6.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.01 £2.24

$1.20 COP 4,276

150.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 £2.51

$2.47 COP 8,809

36.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.04 £3.01

$0.86 COP 3,051

369.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.0 £70.8

$41.40 COP 147.6K

129.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 £3.93

$1.47 COP 5,255

259.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 £1.69

$1.96 COP 6,997

15.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.65 £20.59

$7.74 COP 27.6K

257.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$0.95 COP 3,403

104.21%

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

$38.8K £28.9K

$18.1K COP 64.6M

114.14%

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

$38.0K £28.3K

$26.5K COP 94.4M

43.49%

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

$378 £281

$82.3 COP 293.2K

359.06%

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

$17.76 £13.23

$9.50 COP 33.9K

86.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.41 £30.84

$24.23 COP 86.4K

70.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 £38.23

$25.89 COP 92.3K

98.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.32 £14.39

$19.00 COP 67.7K

1.68%

Cinema Ticket

$17.62 £13.12

$3.93 COP 14.0K

348.35%

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

$1,150 £856

$309 COP 1.1M

271.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K £13.4K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

201.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 £93.4

$58.7 COP 209.1K

113.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 £37.71

$32.35 COP 115.3K

56.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £78.9

$103 COP 365.7K

3.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 £79.4

$108 COP 386.5K

-1.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 £1,038

$476 COP 1.7M

192.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 £753

$379 COP 1.4M

166.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,716 £2,023

$838 COP 3.0M

223.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 £1,403

$724 COP 2.6M

160.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,173 £3,108

$2,791 COP 9.9M

49.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,091 £2,302

$1,211 COP 4.3M

155.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,453 £2,571

$512 COP 1.8M

574.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

13.43

-60.39%

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

Last update for Glasgow: June 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,393 in Glasgow versus $476 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 575% higher in Glasgow, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Glasgow versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $314 vs $188 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Glasgow vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,505 in Glasgow, $1,013 in Medellin – roughly 147% apart. Glasgow costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,757 per month in Glasgow and $1,519 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,150 per month in Glasgow and $309 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 67% more in Glasgow, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,013, than in Glasgow at $2,505. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Glasgow it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,013 in Medellin to $2,505 in Glasgow. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Glasgow makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.