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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,005 per month in Ilford vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,022 per month in Ilford vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,039 per month in Ilford vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Ilford costs about 191% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Ilford sits 124% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 £15.29

$5.92 COP 21.4K

248.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.6 £64.9

$32.75 COP 118.2K

167.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.93 £8.10

$7.20 COP 26.0K

51.81%

Cappuccino

$4.86 £3.60

$1.70 COP 6,140

185.88%

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

$1.51 £1.12

$1.10 COP 3,966

37.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 £0.81

$0.72 COP 2,605

51.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.56 £4.12

$1.67 COP 6,022

232.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 £4.47

$3.10 COP 11.2K

94.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.06 COP 3,809

36.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.25 COP 4,497

16.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 £1.58

$1.39 COP 5,022

53.24%

Eggs

$3.71 £2.75

$2.26 COP 8,168

64.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.48 £6.28

$4.33 COP 15.6K

95.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.14 £6.03

$5.84 COP 21.1K

39.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.12 £9.72

$8.83 COP 31.9K

48.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 £2.43

$2.24 COP 8,099

46.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 £1.11

$1.08 COP 3,882

37.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 £2.15

$1.53 COP 5,522

89.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 £2.09

$1.37 COP 4,950

105.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.13 COP 4,078

53.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 £1.14

$1.12 COP 4,036

37.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 £0.96

$0.85 COP 3,057

52.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 £1.02

$0.91 COP 3,281

51.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.67 £15.31

$2.33 COP 8,414

787.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.46 £7.01

$11.13 COP 40.2K

-15.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 £2.12

$1.19 COP 4,309

140.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 £1.85

$2.37 COP 8,553

5.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.45 £2.56

$0.79 COP 2,838

336.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.2 £65.3

$41.13 COP 148.5K

114.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.96 £4.41

$1.44 COP 5,184

313.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 £1.61

$1.91 COP 6,901

13.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.19 £21.63

$8.02 COP 28.9K

263.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 £1.40

$0.94 COP 3,385

101.06%

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

$38.3K £28.4K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

113.83%

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

$39.2K £29.1K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

46.42%

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

$323 £239

$84.0 COP 303.1K

284.86%

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

$16.03 £11.88

$9.60 COP 34.7K

66.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.22 £26.10

$24.16 COP 87.2K

45.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.01 £20.75

$25.88 COP 93.4K

8.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

Cinema Ticket

$20.52 £15.21

$3.92 COP 14.1K

423.47%

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

$1,896 £1,405

$306 COP 1.1M

519.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K £16.5K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

277.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 £75.9

$57.9 COP 209.1K

76.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 £30.64

$31.82 COP 114.9K

29.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 £65.1

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-12.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 £75.3

$107 COP 386.8K

-5.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 £1,063

$487 COP 1.8M

194.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,773 £1,314

$368 COP 1.3M

381.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 £2,274

$826 COP 3.0M

271.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,172 £1,610

$716 COP 2.6M

203.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,622 £2,684

$546 COP 2.0M

563.92%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,434 in Ilford versus $487 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 564% 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 $88.0 in Ilford versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $190 – 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 191% 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 $4,507 per month in Ilford and $1,550 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 46% 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 $88.0 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 $1,034, than in Ilford at $3,005. 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 $1,034 versus $3,005 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.