Cost of Living Comparison Between Harlow and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Harlow and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,513 in Harlow versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,707 in Harlow versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,901 in Harlow versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Harlow is roughly 46% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Harlow 83% above, Medellin 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.71 £16.06

$8.03 COP 25.1K

170.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.1 £71.8

$48.26 COP 151.0K

101.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 £7.94

$9.77 COP 30.6K

9.83%

Cappuccino

$5.91 £4.37

$2.91 COP 9,107

103.09%

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

$2.73 £2.02

$1.94 COP 6,082

40.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.36

$1.52 COP 4,760

21.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.00 £5.18

$3.09 COP 9,676

126.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 £5.17

$5.74 COP 18.0K

21.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 £0.98

$1.36 COP 4,267

-2.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 £1.00

$2.39 COP 7,470

-43.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 £0.87

$1.70 COP 5,321

-31.18%

Eggs

$2.38 £1.76

$2.87 COP 8,979

-17.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.79 £5.02

$9.94 COP 31.1K

-31.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.37 £4.71

$10.78 COP 33.7K

-40.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 £4.96

$14.73 COP 46.1K

-54.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 £1.54

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-48.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 £0.92

$1.57 COP 4,917

-21.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 £0.84

$2.13 COP 6,651

-46.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 £1.49

$2.21 COP 6,926

-8.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 £1.21

$2.05 COP 6,404

-20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 £0.98

$1.50 COP 4,706

-12.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 £1.01

$1.19 COP 3,723

15.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.12

$1.16 COP 3,623

31.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.92 £16.22

$3.90 COP 12.2K

462.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.33 £6.90

$14.44 COP 45.2K

-35.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 £2.02

$1.58 COP 4,955

73.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 £1.49

$2.83 COP 8,847

-28.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 £2.58

$1.17 COP 3,655

198.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.7 £70.0

$77.7 COP 243.2K

21.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 £4.56

$1.28 COP 4,019

381.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 £1.23

$2.09 COP 6,546

-20.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.53 £15.93

$8.62 COP 27.0K

149.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.44

$1.30 COP 4,061

50.00%

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

$38.0K £28.1K

$27.7K COP 86.5M

37.44%

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

$42.0K £31.0K

$35.5K COP 111.1M

18.17%

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

$257 £190

$176 COP 550.9K

45.92%

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

$12.25 £9.06

$13.37 COP 41.8K

-8.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.99 £21.45

$29.89 COP 93.5K

-3.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 £35.58

$44.76 COP 140.0K

7.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.37 £6.19

$17.06 COP 53.4K

-50.94%

Cinema Ticket

$12.76 £9.44

$6.20 COP 19.4K

105.81%

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

$1,102 £815

$793 COP 2.5M

38.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K £15.1K

$9,019 COP 28.2M

126.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.8 £53.1

$85.6 COP 267.8K

-16.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.12 £23.02

$58.5 COP 182.9K

-46.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 £59.1

$136 COP 426.4K

-41.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.85 £28.74

$103 COP 322.6K

-62.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 £1,055

$1,060 COP 3.3M

34.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 £990

$680 COP 2.1M

96.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,337 £1,729

$2,012 COP 6.3M

16.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,232 £1,652

$1,169 COP 3.7M

91.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,317 £3,934

$4,111 COP 12.9M

29.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,714 £2,748

$1,701 COP 5.3M

118.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,037 £2,246

$665 COP 2.1M

356.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.91

10.94

-55.12%

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

Last update for Harlow: August 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,426 in Harlow and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harlow pays 356% 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: $97.0 in Harlow vs $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $213 vs $303, with Harlow cheaper for home cooking.

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

Harlow vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harlow and Medellin differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($2,513 vs $1,716 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 356% higher in Harlow, 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: $1,426 in Harlow versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $97.0 in Harlow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,513 per month in Harlow versus $1,716 in Medellin – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,716 in Medellin versus $2,513 in Harlow, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Harlow. 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, Harlow 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 46% less than in Harlow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.