Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston upon Thames and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston upon Thames and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,339 in Kingston upon Thames versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,816 in Kingston upon Thames versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,293 in Kingston upon Thames versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Kingston upon Thames is roughly 224% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kingston upon Thames is 150% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.36 £17.37

$6.16 COP 20.1K

279.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.3 £64.2

$32.60 COP 106.1K

164.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 £7.52

$7.34 COP 23.9K

37.74%

Cappuccino

$5.12 £3.81

$1.72 COP 5,600

197.67%

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

$2.85 £2.12

$1.05 COP 3,420

171.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 £1.33

$0.77 COP 2,515

132.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.62 £6.41

$1.69 COP 5,488

410.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 £5.96

$3.17 COP 10.3K

153.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 £1.16

$1.05 COP 3,423

49.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 £1.12

$1.30 COP 4,236

15.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 £2.06

$1.40 COP 4,544

97.86%

Eggs

$4.13 £3.07

$2.16 COP 7,047

91.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 £7.55

$4.39 COP 14.3K

131.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.91 £6.63

$5.88 COP 19.1K

51.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.89 £11.07

$8.64 COP 28.1K

72.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 £2.55

$2.28 COP 7,426

50.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 £1.51

$1.11 COP 3,604

81.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 £2.28

$1.53 COP 4,983

100.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 £2.57

$1.35 COP 4,410

155.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 £1.15

$1.13 COP 3,674

37.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 £1.38

$1.13 COP 3,692

64.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 £0.80

$0.85 COP 2,753

27.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 £1.42

$0.91 COP 2,975

109.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 £13.46

$2.34 COP 7,630

673.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 £8.36

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-9.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 £2.44

$1.20 COP 3,909

174.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 £3.01

$2.49 COP 8,104

62.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 £1.76

$0.84 COP 2,728

180.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.68 £32.49

$40.57 COP 132.1K

7.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 £3.81

$1.42 COP 4,623

260.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 £1.61

$1.92 COP 6,235

13.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.21 £25.45

$7.66 COP 24.9K

346.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$0.99 COP 3,223

97.98%

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

$38.4K £28.5K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

112.77%

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

$39.3K £29.3K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

47.72%

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

$329 £244

$80.8 COP 263.1K

306.53%

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

$15.66 £11.65

$9.95 COP 32.4K

57.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.27 £30.70

$24.18 COP 78.7K

70.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.0 £67.7

$25.08 COP 81.7K

262.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.75 £7.25

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-49.09%

Cinema Ticket

$20.73 £15.42

$3.98 COP 13.0K

420.85%

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

$1,896 £1,410

$305 COP 993.5K

521.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K £13.4K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

196.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.7 £64.5

$58.1 COP 189.2K

49.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.70 £31.76

$32.20 COP 104.8K

32.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 £66.9

$101 COP 327.9K

-10.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 £103

$108 COP 350.8K

28.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,044 £1,520

$477 COP 1.6M

328.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 £1,384

$376 COP 1.2M

394.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,743 £2,784

$845 COP 2.7M

343.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,262 £2,426

$730 COP 2.4M

346.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.3K £12.1K

$3,215 COP 10.5M

406.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,372 £3,252

$1,372 COP 4.5M

218.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,830 £3,592

$617 COP 2.0M

683.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

13.43

-56.07%

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

Last update for Kingston upon Thames: July 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,044 in Kingston upon Thames and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston upon Thames pays 683% 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: $86.0 in Kingston upon Thames vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $193 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Kingston upon Thames vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kingston upon Thames and Medellin differ by about 224% in total monthly costs ($3,339 vs $1,031 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 683% higher in Kingston upon Thames, 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: $2,044 in Kingston upon Thames versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 8% less than in Kingston upon Thames. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,896 in Kingston upon Thames versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $3,339 in Kingston upon Thames, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Kingston upon Thames. 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, Kingston upon Thames 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 224% less than in Kingston upon Thames. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.