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: $2,381 in Lerwick versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,500 in Lerwick versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,619 in Lerwick versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Lerwick is roughly 39% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lerwick 73% above, Medellin 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.33 £15.78

$8.03 COP 25.1K

165.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 £65.0

$48.26 COP 151.0K

82.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 £8.02

$9.77 COP 30.6K

10.95%

Cappuccino

$5.01 £3.70

$2.91 COP 9,107

72.16%

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

$2.56 £1.89

$1.94 COP 6,082

31.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 £1.32

$1.52 COP 4,760

17.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.84 £5.06

$3.09 COP 9,676

121.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 £4.74

$5.74 COP 18.0K

11.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.36 COP 4,267

19.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 £1.26

$2.39 COP 7,470

-28.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 £1.65

$1.70 COP 5,321

31.18%

Eggs

$3.98 £2.94

$2.87 COP 8,979

38.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 £6.89

$9.94 COP 31.1K

-6.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.04 £6.69

$10.78 COP 33.7K

-16.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.90 £11.03

$14.73 COP 46.1K

1.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 £2.23

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-26.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.57 COP 4,917

5.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 £2.08

$2.13 COP 6,651

31.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 £2.45

$2.21 COP 6,926

50.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 £1.29

$2.05 COP 6,404

-14.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.16

$1.50 COP 4,706

4.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.94

$1.19 COP 3,723

5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.12

$1.16 COP 3,623

31.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.09 £17.83

$3.90 COP 12.2K

517.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.17 £8.27

$14.44 COP 45.2K

-22.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 £2.17

$1.58 COP 4,955

86.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 £2.52

$2.83 COP 8,847

20.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.65 £2.70

$1.17 COP 3,655

211.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.0 £71.8

$77.7 COP 243.2K

24.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 £3.77

$1.28 COP 4,019

297.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 £1.52

$2.09 COP 6,546

-1.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.29 £17.97

$8.62 COP 27.0K

181.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.30 COP 4,061

50.00%

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

$40.1K £29.7K

$27.7K COP 86.5M

45.08%

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

$41.1K £30.4K

$35.5K COP 111.1M

15.68%

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

$328 £243

$176 COP 550.9K

86.30%

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

$17.85 £13.20

$13.37 COP 41.8K

33.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.61 £32.27

$29.89 COP 93.5K

45.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.25 £35.69

$44.76 COP 140.0K

7.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 £10.45

$6.20 COP 19.4K

127.90%

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

$1,661 £1,229

$793 COP 2.5M

109.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.1K £16.3K

$9,019 COP 28.2M

144.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 £68.5

$85.6 COP 267.8K

8.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.78 £34.61

$58.5 COP 182.9K

-19.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 £73.5

$136 COP 426.4K

-27.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 £74.6

$103 COP 322.6K

-2.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 £929

$1,060 COP 3.3M

18.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,024 £757

$680 COP 2.1M

50.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 £1,586

$2,012 COP 6.3M

6.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,726 £1,277

$1,169 COP 3.7M

47.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,289 £3,913

$4,111 COP 12.9M

28.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,093 £3,028

$1,701 COP 5.3M

140.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.11

10.94

-53.29%

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

Last update for Lerwick: August 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,255 in Lerwick and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $88.0 in Lerwick vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $303 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, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,571 in Lerwick and $2,574 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: $1,255 in Lerwick versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,381 per month in Lerwick versus $1,716 in Medellin – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 25% less than in Lerwick. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,716 in Medellin versus $2,381 in Lerwick, a $2,500 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 39% less than in Lerwick. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.