Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilford and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilford and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,091 per month in Ilford vs $1,003 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,030 per month in Ilford vs $1,573 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,968 per month in Ilford vs $2,143 in Medellin, rent included.

Ilford costs about 208% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Ilford sits 132% above the global median, while Medellin is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.13 £15.06

$5.91 COP 18.9K

240.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.0 £65.1

$32.96 COP 105.2K

163.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.77 £8.06

$7.43 COP 23.7K

44.95%

Cappuccino

$4.72 £3.53

$1.65 COP 5,276

186.06%

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

$1.51 £1.13

$1.10 COP 3,514

37.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 £0.81

$0.78 COP 2,491

38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.33 £3.98

$1.72 COP 5,484

209.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 £4.43

$3.18 COP 10.1K

86.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 £1.10

$1.10 COP 3,521

33.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 £1.06

$1.26 COP 4,015

12.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 £1.68

$1.38 COP 4,407

62.32%

Eggs

$3.64 £2.72

$2.18 COP 6,950

66.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 £6.18

$4.49 COP 14.3K

83.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.24 £6.16

$5.79 COP 18.5K

42.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.21 £9.88

$8.97 COP 28.6K

47.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 £2.36

$2.32 COP 7,405

35.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 £1.13

$1.06 COP 3,397

42.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 £2.23

$1.52 COP 4,838

96.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 £2.13

$1.36 COP 4,327

109.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 £1.25

$1.13 COP 3,599

47.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 £1.17

$1.17 COP 3,738

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 £0.97

$0.90 COP 2,876

44.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 £1.03

$0.90 COP 2,861

53.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.97 £15.69

$2.23 COP 7,128

840.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.05 £9.76

$12.12 COP 38.7K

7.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 £2.12

$1.19 COP 3,793

137.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 £1.82

$2.48 COP 7,920

-2.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.45 £2.58

$0.85 COP 2,723

305.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.7 £67.1

$41.62 COP 132.8K

115.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 £4.51

$1.42 COP 4,518

324.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 £1.59

$1.95 COP 6,223

8.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 £22.32

$7.89 COP 25.2K

278.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.41

$0.99 COP 3,160

89.90%

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

$38.9K £29.1K

$17.6K COP 56.2M

120.76%

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

$39.4K £29.5K

$26.8K COP 85.5M

47.20%

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

$321 £240

$83.0 COP 264.9K

286.36%

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

$16.58 £12.41

$9.70 COP 30.9K

70.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.65 £25.92

$23.52 COP 75.0K

47.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.31 £21.18

$25.26 COP 80.6K

12.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.9K

Cinema Ticket

$20.57 £15.39

$3.95 COP 12.6K

420.76%

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

$1,940 £1,451

$316 COP 1.0M

514.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K £16.7K

$5,975 COP 19.1M

272.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 £76.8

$60.0 COP 191.4K

71.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.30 £30.15

$31.82 COP 101.5K

26.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 £67.2

$102 COP 324.4K

-11.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 £76.6

$107 COP 342.8K

-4.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,417 £1,060

$475 COP 1.5M

198.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,787 £1,337

$374 COP 1.2M

377.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,039 £2,273

$849 COP 2.7M

257.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 £1,585

$719 COP 2.3M

194.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,226 £3,910

$3,265 COP 10.4M

60.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,604 £2,696

$624 COP 2.0M

477.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.45

13.43

-59.42%

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

Last update for Ilford: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,417 in Ilford versus $475 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 477% higher in Ilford, 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 $87.0 in Ilford versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $284 vs $193 – 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

Ilford vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilford costs about 208% more than Medellin, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,637 per month in Ilford and $1,504 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.

Groceries cost about 47% more in Ilford, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87.0 in Ilford and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,003, than in Ilford at $3,091. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ilford it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,003 versus $3,091 in Ilford. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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