Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lincoln and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,203 in Lincoln, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lincoln
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,203
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,625
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lincoln and in Medellin

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,203 in Lincoln versus $1,625 in Medellin.

  • Lincoln $2,203
  • Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,290 in Lincoln versus $2,412 in Medellin.

  • Lincoln $3,290
  • Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,376 in Lincoln versus $3,199 in Medellin.

  • Lincoln $4,376
  • Medellin $3,199

Living in Lincoln is roughly 36% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lincoln 63% above, Medellin 20% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lincoln
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.70 £20.03
$8.30 COP 26.3K
221.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.8 £64.4
$46.91 COP 148.7K
82.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.14 £6.11
$9.24 COP 29.3K
-11.90%
Cappuccino
$4.98 £3.74
$3.05 COP 9,676
63.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.64 £1.98
$1.80 COP 5,707
46.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 £1.48
$1.38 COP 4,382
42.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.70 £5.03
$3.24 COP 10.3K
106.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.58 £4.94
$5.56 COP 17.6K
18.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lincoln
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.40 £1.05
$1.50 COP 4,760
-6.67%
White Bread (500g)
$1.49 £1.12
$2.37 COP 7,508
-37.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.34 £1.01
$1.70 COP 5,377
-21.18%
Eggs
$3.36 £2.52
$2.96 COP 9,379
13.51%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.31 £6.23
$10.22 COP 32.4K
-18.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.59 £6.44
$9.74 COP 30.9K
-11.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.39 £8.54
$13.90 COP 44.1K
-18.06%
Apples (1kg)
$3.48 £2.61
$4.13 COP 13.1K
-15.74%
Banana (1kg)
$1.20 £0.90
$1.53 COP 4,839
-21.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.11 £2.33
$2.22 COP 7,052
40.09%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.65 £2.74
$2.27 COP 7,194
60.79%
Potato (1kg)
$1.47 £1.10
$1.99 COP 6,311
-26.13%
Onion (1kg)
$1.16 £0.87
$1.67 COP 5,285
-30.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.04 £0.78
$1.18 COP 3,742
-11.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.35 £1.02
$1.24 COP 3,919
8.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.57 £17.68
$3.87 COP 12.3K
509.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.50 £7.88
$13.78 COP 43.7K
-23.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.18 £2.39
$1.66 COP 5,256
91.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.59 £2.69
$2.40 COP 7,615
49.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Lincoln
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.15 £3.12
$1.24 COP 3,944
234.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$107 £80.3
$78.2 COP 248.0K
36.84%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.88 £2.91
$1.28 COP 4,044
203.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.71 £0.54
$2.15 COP 6,803
-66.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.84 £14.89
$8.37 COP 26.5K
137.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.06 £1.54
$1.35 COP 4,288
52.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.6K £28.9K
$34.8K COP 110.2M
10.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.4K £30.3K
$34.7K COP 110.0M
16.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lincoln
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$304 £228
$167 COP 528.4K
82.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.07 £12.81
$13.62 COP 43.2K
25.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.02 £30.02
$29.12 COP 92.3K
37.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lincoln
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$26.70 £20.03
$45.09 COP 143.0K
-40.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.35 £16.01
$17.18 COP 54.5K
24.27%
Cinema Ticket
$15.55 £11.66
$6.97 COP 22.1K
123.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lincoln
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,831 £1,373
$790 COP 2.5M
131.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.6K £15.5K
$9,041 COP 28.7M
128.12%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lincoln
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$115 £85.9
$87.8 COP 278.4K
30.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.6 £43.98
$58.2 COP 184.4K
0.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.9 £63.7
$139 COP 440.7K
-38.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.3 £74.5
$98.9 COP 313.5K
0.38%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lincoln
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 £809
$1,028 COP 3.3M
4.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$854 £640
$620 COP 2.0M
37.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,936 £1,453
$1,881 COP 6.0M
2.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,426 £1,070
$1,008 COP 3.2M
41.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,503 £1,878
$3,988 COP 12.6M
-37.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,220 £916
$1,702 COP 5.4M
-28.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lincoln
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,307 £2,481
$663 COP 2.1M
398.52%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.88
10.94
-55.39%

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

Last update for Lincoln: October 17, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lincoln
$854
Medellin
$619 27.4% $234
Eating Out
Lincoln
$363
Medellin
$171 52.9% $192
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lincoln
$361
Medellin
$209 42% $152
Groceries & Markets
Lincoln
$276
Medellin
$298 7.8% $22
Clothing & Footwear
Lincoln
$161
Medellin
$173 7.4% $12
Getting Around
Lincoln
$131
Medellin
$95 27.4% $36
Sport & Entertainment
Lincoln
$58
Medellin
$59 2.1% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,078 in Lincoln and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lincoln pays 399% 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 Lincoln vs $47.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $298, with Lincoln cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Lincoln
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
01:26 1:26 AM
19:26 7:26 PM
6 h behind Lincoln
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
97,541
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lincoln Medellin 8,460 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lincoln
  • 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
Lincoln vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lincoln and in Medellin?
Lincoln and Medellin differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($2,203 vs $1,625 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lincoln or Medellin?
Average pay runs 399% higher in Lincoln, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lincoln and in Medellin?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,078 in Lincoln versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $86.0 in Lincoln. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lincoln or Medellin?
All in, you'll spend $2,203 per month in Lincoln versus $1,625 in Medellin – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
At $1,625 in Medellin versus $2,203 in Lincoln, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Lincoln. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lincoln and Medellin?
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.
Is Lincoln or Medellin safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lincoln 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.
Where should expats move: Lincoln or Medellin?
Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Lincoln. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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