Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Isle of Islay and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,222 on the Isle of Islay, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Isle of Islay, United Kingdom
Medellin, Colombia
Isle of Islay
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,222
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend on the Isle of Islay and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month on the Isle of Islay and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,222 per month on the Isle of Islay vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Isle of Islay $2,222
  • Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $3,437 per month on the Isle of Islay vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Isle of Islay $3,437
  • Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $4,652 per month on the Isle of Islay vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Isle of Islay $4,652
  • Medellin $3,249

Isle of Islay costs about 31% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Isle of Islay and Medellin sit above the global median – Isle of Islay by 64%, Medellin by 25%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Isle of Islay
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.81 £16.26
$8.34 COP 26.9K
161.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.1 £61.2
$46.53 COP 150.2K
76.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.53 £7.85
$9.47 COP 30.6K
11.19%
Cappuccino
$4.52 £3.37
$3.13 COP 10.1K
44.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.55 £1.90
$1.77 COP 5,702
44.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.33 £0.99
$1.42 COP 4,599
-6.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.87 £4.38
$3.15 COP 10.2K
86.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.18 £4.61
$5.70 COP 18.4K
8.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Isle of Islay
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.12 £1.58
$1.53 COP 4,948
38.56%
White Bread (500g)
$1.78 £1.33
$2.29 COP 7,397
-22.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.85 £2.13
$1.94 COP 6,279
46.91%
Eggs
$5.54 £4.13
$3.07 COP 9,900
80.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.53 £5.61
$9.99 COP 32.3K
-24.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.31 £6.94
$10.45 COP 33.7K
-10.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.48 £11.55
$13.96 COP 45.1K
10.89%
Apples (1kg)
$2.46 £1.84
$4.05 COP 13.1K
-39.26%
Banana (1kg)
$2.33 £1.74
$1.53 COP 4,934
52.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.97 £2.21
$2.10 COP 6,794
41.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 £2.09
$2.29 COP 7,405
22.27%
Potato (1kg)
$3.09 £2.30
$2.11 COP 6,810
46.45%
Onion (1kg)
$2.15 £1.60
$1.71 COP 5,518
25.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.79 £1.34
$1.17 COP 3,778
52.99%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.45 £1.83
$1.58 COP 5,101
55.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.36 £17.42
$3.91 COP 12.6K
497.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.25 £9.14
$14.04 COP 45.3K
-12.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.33 £2.48
$1.76 COP 5,688
89.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.36 £2.51
$2.71 COP 8,756
23.99%
🚌 Getting Around
Isle of Islay
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.48 £2.60
$1.18 COP 3,809
194.92%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$87.5 £65.2
$76.3 COP 246.3K
14.63%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.94 £4.43
$1.81 COP 5,833
228.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.94 £1.45
$2.13 COP 6,874
-8.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.25 £19.57
$8.13 COP 26.3K
222.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.12 £1.58
$1.28 COP 4,117
65.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.4K £28.6K
$34.4K COP 111.2M
11.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.2K £30.8K
$34.1K COP 110.2M
20.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Isle of Islay
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$247 £184
$178 COP 573.8K
38.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.28 £9.90
$13.89 COP 44.8K
-4.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.21 £31.47
$30.74 COP 99.2K
37.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Isle of Islay
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.67 £35.55
$41.94 COP 135.4K
13.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.80 COP 54.2K
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.31 £9.93
$7.47 COP 24.1K
78.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Isle of Islay
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,867 £1,392
$790 COP 2.6M
136.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.6K £18.4K
$12.3K COP 39.7M
100.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Isle of Islay
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$98.0 £73.0
$86.3 COP 278.7K
13.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.7 £42.27
$59.3 COP 191.3K
-4.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$124 £92.6
$138 COP 446.6K
-10.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.7 £66.9
$98.8 COP 319.0K
-9.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Isle of Islay
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,396 £1,041
$1,341 COP 4.3M
4.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$907 £676
$667 COP 2.2M
35.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,320 £1,730
$1,976 COP 6.4M
17.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,747 £1,303
$1,033 COP 3.3M
69.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,570 £4,153
$4,098 COP 13.2M
35.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,123 £3,075
$1,940 COP 6.3M
112.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Isle of Islay
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$646 COP 2.1M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.41
10.94
-50.55%

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

Last update for the Isle of Islay: November 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Isle of Islay
$907
Medellin
$667 26.4% $240
Groceries & Markets
Isle of Islay
$338
Medellin
$307 9.2% $31
Eating Out
Isle of Islay
$318
Medellin
$173 45.6% $145
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Isle of Islay
$302
Medellin
$222 26.4% $80
Clothing & Footwear
Isle of Islay
$166
Medellin
$172 3.9% $6.4
Getting Around
Isle of Islay
$117
Medellin
$93 20.1% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Isle of Islay
$74
Medellin
$57 23.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,396 on the Isle of Islay versus $1,341 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82 on the Isle of Islay versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $338 vs $307 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Isle of Islay
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
21:13 9:13 PM
16:13 4:13 PM
5 h behind the Isle of Islay
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,457
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.746 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,610 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Isle of Islay Medellin 8,150 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Isle of Islay
  • Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Isle of Islay vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than the Isle of Islay?
Yes – Isle of Islay is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,334 per month on the Isle of Islay and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between the Isle of Islay and Medellin?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,396 on the Isle of Islay and $1,341 in Medellin. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Is eating out cheaper on the Isle of Islay or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $82 on the Isle of Islay and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses on the Isle of Islay and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,222 on the Isle of Islay and $1,692 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 24% cheaper.
Is $2,500 enough for either Isle of Islay or Medellin?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,222 on the Isle of Islay and $1,692 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Isle of Islay or Medellin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Medellin is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 24% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

Isle of Islay vs other spots: cost of living compared

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