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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,529 per month in Ilford vs $1,641 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,876 per month in Ilford vs $2,447 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,223 per month in Ilford vs $3,253 in Medellin, rent included.

Ilford costs about 54% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Ilford and Medellin sit above the global median – Ilford by 83%, Medellin by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.31 £16.49

$8.04 COP 24.8K

177.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.0 £69.5

$48.29 COP 148.6K

94.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 £8.07

$9.42 COP 29.0K

15.82%

Cappuccino

$4.77 £3.52

$2.94 COP 9,040

62.24%

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

$2.78 £2.05

$1.86 COP 5,735

49.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.36

$1.46 COP 4,479

26.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.37 £6.19

$3.21 COP 9,882

160.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.55 £5.58

$5.71 COP 17.6K

32.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.44 COP 4,428

14.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 £1.36

$2.40 COP 7,389

-23.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 £1.80

$1.70 COP 5,228

43.53%

Eggs

$4.49 £3.32

$2.89 COP 8,896

55.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 £7.57

$10.06 COP 30.9K

1.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 £7.20

$9.97 COP 30.7K

-2.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.27 £12.03

$14.20 COP 43.7K

14.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 £2.20

$3.98 COP 12.3K

-25.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 £1.07

$1.58 COP 4,878

-8.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 £2.13

$2.15 COP 6,624

34.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 £2.48

$2.30 COP 7,078

45.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 £1.20

$2.00 COP 6,169

-19.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 £1.31

$1.51 COP 4,646

17.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 £0.97

$1.20 COP 3,701

10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.38

$1.28 COP 3,946

46.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.73 £16.80

$3.84 COP 11.8K

491.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.44 £8.45

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-18.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.42

$1.71 COP 5,256

91.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 £3.03

$2.74 COP 8,440

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.50 £2.59

$1.25 COP 3,834

180.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 £75.8

$77.9 COP 239.7K

31.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.86 £4.33

$1.31 COP 4,016

347.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 £1.95

$2.17 COP 6,680

21.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.77 £18.31

$8.29 COP 25.5K

198.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 £1.57

$1.36 COP 4,172

55.88%

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

$39.5K £29.2K

$27.5K COP 84.5M

43.87%

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

$41.4K £30.6K

$36.5K COP 112.4M

13.40%

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

$337 £249

$169 COP 519.2K

99.96%

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

$18.83 £13.92

$13.57 COP 41.8K

38.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.59 £31.48

$28.32 COP 87.2K

50.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.62 £30.02

$45.71 COP 140.7K

-11.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$17.21 £12.72

$6.65 COP 20.5K

158.80%

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

$2,575 £1,903

$803 COP 2.5M

220.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K £22.3K

$9,190 COP 28.3M

228.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.4 £66.8

$87.4 COP 268.8K

3.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.09 £35.54

$59.4 COP 182.7K

-19.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.5 £69.9

$139 COP 427.5K

-31.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 £94.8

$102 COP 314.0K

25.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 £1,042

$1,071 COP 3.3M

31.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 £771

$653 COP 2.0M

59.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,054 £2,258

$1,925 COP 5.9M

58.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,176 £1,608

$1,048 COP 3.2M

107.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,289 £3,909

$4,123 COP 12.7M

28.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,707 £2,740

$1,697 COP 5.2M

118.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,626 £2,680

$655 COP 2.0M

453.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.04

10.94

-53.93%

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

Last update for Ilford: September 5, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,409 in Ilford 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 453% 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 $94.0 in Ilford versus $48.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $326 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

Ilford vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilford costs about 54% 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 $3,794 per month in Ilford 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.

Groceries cost about 9% 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 $94.0 in Ilford and $48.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,641, than in Ilford at $2,529. 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 $1,641 versus $2,529 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.