Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,589 a month against $2,312 in London, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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London

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,312

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London 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 London and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,312 in London versus $1,589 in Medellin.

London $2,312
Medellin $1,589

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,278 in London versus $2,364 in Medellin.

London $3,278
Medellin $2,364

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,243 in London versus $3,139 in Medellin.

London $4,243
Medellin $3,139

Living in London is roughly 45% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 73% above, Medellin 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.22 CA$30.24

$8.01 COP 25.5K

164.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.6 CA$89.3

$46.55 COP 148.3K

34.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.36 CA$17.61

$9.43 COP 30.1K

31.07%

Cappuccino

$3.65 CA$5.20

$2.91 COP 9,277

25.43%

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

$2.18 CA$3.10

$1.75 COP 5,585

24.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 CA$2.94

$1.32 COP 4,218

56.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.47 CA$9.22

$3.13 COP 9,969

106.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.47 CA$9.23

$5.55 COP 17.7K

16.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 CA$2.78

$1.41 COP 4,495

38.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 CA$3.72

$2.44 COP 7,777

6.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.94 CA$5.62

$1.63 COP 5,191

141.72%

Eggs

$3.74 CA$5.34

$2.82 COP 8,990

32.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.83 CA$14.02

$9.69 COP 30.9K

1.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.28 CA$16.08

$9.32 COP 29.7K

21.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 CA$21.40

$13.46 COP 42.9K

11.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.24 CA$6.04

$4.00 COP 12.8K

6.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 CA$1.84

$1.48 COP 4,719

-12.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.85 CA$5.49

$2.12 COP 6,768

81.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.79

$2.25 COP 7,178

80.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.17 CA$4.53

$1.91 COP 6,092

65.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.31

$1.62 COP 5,160

86.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 CA$3.68

$1.15 COP 3,658

124.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 CA$2.09

$1.26 COP 4,021

15.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.98 CA$17.08

$3.82 COP 12.2K

213.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.50 CA$17.82

$13.11 COP 41.8K

-4.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 CA$3.43

$1.60 COP 5,083

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 CA$4.09

$2.26 COP 7,188

26.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 CA$3.22

$1.17 COP 3,731

93.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 CA$110

$75.0 COP 239.0K

3.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 CA$3.58

$1.27 COP 4,056

97.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 CA$2.29

$2.05 COP 6,531

-21.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.83 CA$31.11

$8.20 COP 26.1K

166.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.67

$1.27 COP 4,046

-7.87%

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

$27.8K CA$39.6K

$26.8K COP 85.3M

3.72%

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

$22.7K CA$32.4K

$34.4K COP 109.6M

-33.88%

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

$135 CA$193

$162 COP 516.9K

-16.74%

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

$39.06 CA$55.7

$13.12 COP 41.8K

197.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 CA$80.3

$28.09 COP 89.5K

100.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.00 CA$52.7

$44.33 COP 141.2K

-16.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.27 CA$40.29

$16.33 COP 52.0K

73.12%

Cinema Ticket

$10.41 CA$14.84

$6.09 COP 19.4K

70.94%

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

$407 CA$579

$764 COP 2.4M

-46.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K CA$28.8K

$8,904 COP 28.4M

127.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 CA$74.1

$85.0 COP 270.8K

-38.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.12 CA$54.3

$57.5 COP 183.2K

-33.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 CA$118

$132 COP 419.8K

-37.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.7 CA$129

$95.8 COP 305.1K

-5.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,270 CA$1,810

$1,028 COP 3.3M

23.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 CA$1,636

$604 COP 1.9M

89.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 CA$2,870

$1,802 COP 5.7M

11.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 CA$2,428

$993 COP 3.2M

71.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,440 CA$4,904

$3,921 COP 12.5M

-12.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,519 CA$5,015

$1,639 COP 5.2M

114.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,882 CA$4,108

$626 COP 2.0M

360.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

10.94

-56.86%

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

Last update for London: October 4, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

London

$1.1K 49.4%

Medellin

$604 38.3% 47.3% $543

Groceries & Markets

London

$358 15.4%

Medellin

$288 18.3% 19.5% $70

Eating Out

London

$313 13.5%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 46.8% $146

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$230 9.9%

Medellin

$203 12.9% 11.7% $27

Clothing & Footwear

London

$119 5.1%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 40.4% $48

Getting Around

London

$97 4.2%

Medellin

$91 5.8% 5.9% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

London

$58 2.5%

Medellin

$57 3.6% 2.3% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,270 in London and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 360% 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: $63.0 in London vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $358 vs $288 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 London

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

03:45 3:45 AM

02:45 2:45 AM

1 h behind London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

383,822

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,574 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

London Medellin 4,120 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

London vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 360% higher in London, 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: $1,270 in London versus $1,028 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 London versus $1,589 in Medellin – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 3% less than in London. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,589 in Medellin versus $2,312 in London, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in London. 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 London, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, London 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 45% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.