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 $1,641 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,721 per month in Glasgow vs $2,447 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,936 per month in Glasgow vs $3,253 in Medellin, rent included.

Glasgow costs about 53% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Glasgow and Medellin sit above the global median – Glasgow by 82%, Medellin by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.77 £16.83

$8.04 COP 24.8K

183.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 £49.91

$48.29 COP 148.7K

39.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.67 £7.89

$9.42 COP 29.0K

13.27%

Cappuccino

$4.87 £3.60

$2.94 COP 9,045

65.65%

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

$2.25 £1.66

$1.86 COP 5,738

20.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.33

$1.46 COP 4,481

23.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.81 £4.30

$3.21 COP 9,887

81.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.58 £4.86

$5.71 COP 17.6K

15.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 £1.27

$1.44 COP 4,431

18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 £1.06

$2.40 COP 7,393

-40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 £1.49

$1.70 COP 5,230

18.82%

Eggs

$3.74 £2.77

$2.89 COP 8,901

29.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 £7.25

$10.06 COP 31.0K

-2.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.77 £7.22

$9.97 COP 30.7K

-2.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 £14.06

$14.20 COP 43.7K

33.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 £2.01

$3.98 COP 12.3K

-31.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.58 COP 4,880

4.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 £2.06

$2.15 COP 6,627

29.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 £2.29

$2.30 COP 7,082

34.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 £1.38

$2.00 COP 6,172

-7.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.13

$1.51 COP 4,648

1.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.86

$1.20 COP 3,703

-3.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.28 COP 3,948

28.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.11 £17.82

$3.84 COP 11.8K

527.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.31 £8.36

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-19.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 £2.39

$1.71 COP 5,259

88.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 £2.41

$2.74 COP 8,444

18.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.14 £3.06

$1.25 COP 3,836

231.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 £76.2

$77.9 COP 239.9K

32.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 £4.34

$1.31 COP 4,018

348.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 £0.90

$2.17 COP 6,684

-44.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.4 £46.10

$8.29 COP 25.5K

652.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 £1.48

$1.36 COP 4,174

47.06%

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

$39.1K £28.9K

$27.5K COP 84.6M

42.40%

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

$40.9K £30.2K

$36.5K COP 112.5M

11.93%

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

$341 £252

$169 COP 519.5K

101.92%

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

$19.52 £14.43

$13.57 COP 41.8K

43.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.78 £30.89

$28.32 COP 87.2K

47.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.22 £32.69

$45.71 COP 140.8K

-3.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.92 £15.47

$17.22 COP 53.0K

21.49%

Cinema Ticket

$15.95 £11.79

$6.65 COP 20.5K

139.85%

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

$936 £692

$803 COP 2.5M

16.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.2K £16.4K

$9,190 COP 28.3M

141.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$140 £103

$87.4 COP 269.0K

59.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.84 £34.63

$59.4 COP 182.8K

-21.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £75.5

$139 COP 427.7K

-26.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 £67.6

$102 COP 314.2K

-10.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 £1,026

$1,071 COP 3.3M

29.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 £797

$653 COP 2.0M

65.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,747 £2,031

$1,925 COP 5.9M

42.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 £1,466

$1,048 COP 3.2M

89.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,242 £3,136

$4,123 COP 12.7M

2.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,167 £2,342

$1,697 COP 5.2M

86.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,531 £2,611

$655 COP 2.0M

439.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.75

10.94

-56.58%

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

Last update for Glasgow: September 6, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,387 in Glasgow versus $1,071 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 439% 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 $68.0 in Glasgow versus $48.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $300 – 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, $1,641 in Medellin – roughly 53% 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 $2,462 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 $936 per month in Glasgow and $803 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% 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 $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,641, 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 $1,641 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.