Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Loughrea and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,512 in Loughrea, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Loughrea
🇮🇪 Ireland
$2,512
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,512 in Loughrea versus $1,614 in Medellin.

  • Loughrea $2,512
  • Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,724 in Loughrea versus $2,402 in Medellin.

  • Loughrea $3,724
  • Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,936 in Loughrea versus $3,190 in Medellin.

  • Loughrea $4,936
  • Medellin $3,190

Living in Loughrea is roughly 56% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Loughrea 86% above, Medellin 20% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Loughrea
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.22 €20.62
$7.93 COP 25.1K
192.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$102 €90.8
$46.13 COP 146.2K
121.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.62 €12.10
$9.50 COP 30.1K
43.37%
Cappuccino
$3.38 €3.01
$3.11 COP 9,860
8.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 €1.93
$1.83 COP 5,796
18.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 €1.98
$1.38 COP 4,357
61.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.45 €4.84
$3.05 COP 9,666
78.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.39 €3.90
$5.50 COP 17.4K
-20.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Loughrea
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 €1.48
$1.45 COP 4,597
14.48%
White Bread (500g)
$2.26 €2.01
$2.36 COP 7,491
-4.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.98 €1.76
$1.68 COP 5,325
17.86%
Eggs
$4.82 €4.28
$2.86 COP 9,072
68.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.45 €3.06
$10.19 COP 32.3K
-66.14%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.65 €5.90
$9.53 COP 30.2K
-30.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.08 €9.84
$14.04 COP 44.5K
-21.08%
Apples (1kg)
$2.70 €2.40
$4.07 COP 12.9K
-33.66%
Banana (1kg)
$2.24 €1.99
$1.50 COP 4,739
49.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.72 €2.41
$2.17 COP 6,887
25.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.44 €3.95
$2.31 COP 7,305
92.21%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.93 COP 6,110
-3.63%
Onion (1kg)
$1.54 €1.37
$1.64 COP 5,193
-6.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.76 €0.67
$1.13 COP 3,568
-32.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.08 €1.84
$1.25 COP 3,952
66.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$21.25 €18.87
$3.99 COP 12.6K
432.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.16 €11.69
$13.35 COP 42.3K
-1.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.44 €3.05
$1.70 COP 5,380
102.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.43 €3.04
$2.37 COP 7,520
44.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Loughrea
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.66 €2.36
$1.21 COP 3,825
119.83%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$55.0 €48.84
$76.5 COP 242.4K
-28.10%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.23 €4.64
$1.32 COP 4,177
296.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.52 €1.35
$2.14 COP 6,770
-28.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$37.00 €32.86
$8.47 COP 26.8K
336.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.78 €1.58
$1.30 COP 4,112
36.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.6K €34.3K
$28.0K COP 88.7M
37.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.4K €35.0K
$35.4K COP 112.2M
11.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Loughrea
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$172 COP 545.3K
-4.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.15 €16.12
$13.37 COP 42.4K
35.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.0 €46.15
$28.73 COP 91.0K
80.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Loughrea
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$59.6 €52.9
$45.24 COP 143.4K
31.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$49.26 €43.75
$17.04 COP 54.0K
189.08%
Cinema Ticket
$15.35 €13.63
$6.28 COP 19.9K
144.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Loughrea
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,255 €1,115
$770 COP 2.4M
62.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,363 €4,763
$9,011 COP 28.6M
-40.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Loughrea
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.5 €79.5
$86.4 COP 273.8K
3.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.98 €44.38
$57.1 COP 181.0K
-12.52%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 €101
$137 COP 432.6K
-17.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 €114
$97.9 COP 310.2K
30.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Loughrea
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,598 €1,419
$1,055 COP 3.3M
51.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,326 €1,178
$616 COP 2.0M
115.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,530 €2,247
$1,892 COP 6.0M
33.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,089 €1,856
$1,023 COP 3.2M
104.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,059 COP 12.9M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,678 COP 5.3M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Loughrea
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,538 €2,254
$652 COP 2.1M
289.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.82
10.94
-65.08%

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

Last update for Loughrea: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Loughrea
$1.3K
Medellin
$616 53.6% $710
Eating Out
Loughrea
$321
Medellin
$168 47.5% $152
Groceries & Markets
Loughrea
$290
Medellin
$295 1.5% $4.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Loughrea
$235
Medellin
$214 8.7% $20
Clothing & Footwear
Loughrea
$171
Medellin
$170 0.7% $1.2
Sport & Entertainment
Loughrea
$90
Medellin
$58 36% $32
Getting Around
Loughrea
$78
Medellin
$93 18.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,598 in Loughrea and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Loughrea pays 289% 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: $102 in Loughrea vs $46.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $290 vs $295, with Loughrea cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇮🇪 Loughrea
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
04:22 4:22 AM
22:22 10:22 PM
6 h behind Loughrea
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,600
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.888 EUR (1 EUR = 1.13 USD).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,169 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,568 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Loughrea Medellin 7,930 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Loughrea
  • 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
Loughrea vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Loughrea and in Medellin?
Loughrea and Medellin differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($2,512 vs $1,614 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Loughrea or Medellin?
Average pay runs 289% higher in Loughrea, 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 Loughrea and in Medellin?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,598 in Loughrea versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Loughrea pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $102 in Loughrea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
At $1,614 in Medellin versus $2,512 in Loughrea, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Loughrea. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Loughrea 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 Loughrea or Medellin safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Loughrea 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: Loughrea or Medellin?
Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Loughrea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Loughrea vs other spots: cost of living compared

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