Cost of Living Comparison Between Lerwick and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Lerwick and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,312 in Lerwick versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,374 in Lerwick versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,435 in Lerwick versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Lerwick is roughly 128% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lerwick is 73% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.16 £15.12

$5.99 COP 21.5K

236.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.3 £61.0

$32.86 COP 118.1K

147.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 £7.60

$7.09 COP 25.5K

43.02%

Cappuccino

$4.61 £3.45

$1.71 COP 6,155

169.59%

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

$2.29 £1.71

$1.10 COP 3,950

108.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 £1.20

$0.78 COP 2,799

105.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 £4.68

$1.68 COP 6,037

271.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.01 £4.51

$3.07 COP 11.0K

95.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 £1.18

$1.09 COP 3,931

44.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 £1.20

$1.26 COP 4,537

27.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 £1.65

$1.38 COP 4,955

58.70%

Eggs

$3.88 £2.91

$2.19 COP 7,878

77.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 £7.55

$4.40 COP 15.8K

128.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 £6.75

$5.63 COP 20.2K

60.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 £10.36

$8.89 COP 32.0K

55.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 £2.34

$2.34 COP 8,403

33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 £1.23

$1.06 COP 3,802

53.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 £2.15

$1.50 COP 5,409

90.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 £2.70

$1.38 COP 4,956

160.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 £1.26

$1.15 COP 4,138

46.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 £1.11

$1.16 COP 4,183

27.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 £0.80

$0.89 COP 3,203

19.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 £1.11

$0.84 COP 3,016

76.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.37 £14.53

$2.28 COP 8,198

749.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.18 £8.38

$10.64 COP 38.3K

5.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 £2.11

$1.20 COP 4,312

135.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 £2.33

$2.47 COP 8,882

25.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.27 £2.45

$0.86 COP 3,076

280.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 £67.0

$41.40 COP 148.8K

115.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.55 £4.16

$1.47 COP 5,298

277.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 £1.15

$1.96 COP 7,055

-21.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.72 £17.04

$7.74 COP 27.8K

193.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.45

$0.95 COP 3,431

104.21%

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

$38.3K £28.7K

$18.1K COP 65.2M

111.09%

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

$40.8K £30.6K

$26.5K COP 95.2M

53.98%

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

$296 £222

$82.3 COP 295.7K

259.28%

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

$17.23 £12.92

$9.50 COP 34.2K

81.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.36 £32.51

$24.23 COP 87.1K

78.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.04 £33.77

$25.89 COP 93.0K

73.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 68.3K

Cinema Ticket

$13.71 £10.28

$3.93 COP 14.1K

248.85%

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

$1,576 £1,182

$309 COP 1.1M

409.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K £13.9K

$5,965 COP 21.4M

209.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.8 £62.1

$58.7 COP 210.8K

41.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.14 £32.35

$32.35 COP 116.3K

33.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 £69.6

$103 COP 368.8K

-9.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.0 £72.7

$108 COP 389.7K

-10.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 £918

$476 COP 1.7M

157.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 £758

$379 COP 1.4M

166.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,074 £1,555

$838 COP 3.0M

147.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 £1,285

$724 COP 2.6M

136.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,753 £3,564

$2,791 COP 10.0M

70.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

13.43

-58.08%

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

Last update for Lerwick: May 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,224 in Lerwick and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $81.0 in Lerwick vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $188 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

Lerwick vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 128% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,468 in Lerwick and $1,519 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,224 in Lerwick versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,312 per month in Lerwick versus $1,013 in Medellin – a 128% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 116% less than in Lerwick. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,312 in Lerwick, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Lerwick. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lerwick, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lerwick 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 128% less than in Lerwick. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.