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: $2,275 in Lerwick versus $1,014 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,421 in Lerwick versus $1,596 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,566 in Lerwick versus $2,178 in Medellin.

Living in Lerwick is roughly 124% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lerwick is 69% above, Medellin is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 £15.30

$6.14 COP 22.1K

237.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.9 £60.6

$33.05 COP 119.0K

147.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.08 £7.45

$7.32 COP 26.4K

37.70%

Cappuccino

$4.78 £3.53

$1.66 COP 5,973

187.95%

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

$2.35 £1.74

$1.10 COP 3,978

113.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 £1.23

$0.78 COP 2,816

112.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.07 £4.49

$1.71 COP 6,174

254.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.24 £4.61

$3.17 COP 11.4K

96.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.11 COP 4,003

48.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 £1.23

$1.31 COP 4,709

26.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 £1.61

$1.38 COP 4,969

57.97%

Eggs

$3.84 £2.84

$2.22 COP 7,992

72.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.72 £7.18

$4.34 COP 15.6K

123.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.73 £6.45

$5.80 COP 20.9K

50.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 £10.59

$8.98 COP 32.3K

59.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 £2.27

$2.26 COP 8,146

35.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 £1.20

$1.11 COP 4,014

45.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 £2.17

$1.46 COP 5,273

101.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.44 £2.54

$1.37 COP 4,918

151.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 £1.20

$1.11 COP 4,000

45.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 £1.14

$1.16 COP 4,190

32.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 £0.78

$0.89 COP 3,204

19.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 £1.09

$0.87 COP 3,117

68.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.92 £13.98

$2.35 COP 8,476

705.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 £7.91

$10.86 COP 39.1K

-1.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 £2.07

$1.20 COP 4,321

134.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 £2.36

$2.48 COP 8,927

29.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.46 £2.56

$0.79 COP 2,836

337.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.2 £65.2

$40.77 COP 146.8K

116.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.48 £4.05

$1.42 COP 5,125

285.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 £1.17

$1.91 COP 6,885

-17.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.97 £16.97

$7.65 COP 27.6K

200.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.45

$0.97 COP 3,482

102.06%

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

$37.9K £28.0K

$18.1K COP 65.2M

109.27%

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

$41.3K £30.5K

$26.3K COP 94.8M

57.01%

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

$301 £222

$81.3 COP 292.9K

269.68%

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

$17.12 £12.65

$9.63 COP 34.7K

77.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.41 £32.08

$24.36 COP 87.8K

78.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.43 £34.31

$26.02 COP 93.7K

78.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 COP 68.1K

Cinema Ticket

$13.47 £9.96

$3.89 COP 14.0K

246.27%

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

$1,600 £1,182

$304 COP 1.1M

426.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K £13.5K

$5,902 COP 21.3M

209.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 £60.9

$58.7 COP 211.4K

40.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 £32.73

$32.48 COP 117.0K

36.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 £67.5

$102 COP 366.5K

-10.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.2 £71.8

$108 COP 389.6K

-10.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 £891

$474 COP 1.7M

154.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 £729

$371 COP 1.3M

166.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 £1,524

$848 COP 3.1M

143.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 £1,236

$716 COP 2.6M

133.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 COP 10.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 COP 5.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 COP 2.0M

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: April 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,206 in Lerwick and $474 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82 in Lerwick vs $33 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $190 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 124% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,413 in Lerwick and $1,522 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: $1,206 in Lerwick versus $474 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,275 per month in Lerwick versus $1,014 in Medellin – a 124% 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 $1,014 in Medellin versus $2,275 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 124% less than in Lerwick. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.