Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bridgend

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,403 in Bridgend, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Bridgend
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,403
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Bridgend

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Medellin versus $2,403 in Bridgend.

  • Medellin $1,614
  • Bridgend $2,403

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,402 in Medellin versus $3,539 in Bridgend.

  • Medellin $2,402
  • Bridgend $3,539

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Medellin versus $4,675 in Bridgend.

  • Medellin $3,190
  • Bridgend $4,675

Living in Medellin costs roughly 33% less than in Bridgend, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Bridgend 78% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Bridgend
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.93 COP 25.2K
$20.59 £15.44
-61.49%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.13 COP 146.3K
$86.1 £64.6
-46.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.1K
$10.60 £7.95
-10.38%
Cappuccino
$3.11 COP 9,866
$4.86 £3.64
-36.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 COP 5,800
$2.52 £1.89
-27.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,360
$1.79 £1.34
-22.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.05 COP 9,672
$6.75 £5.06
-54.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.50 COP 17.4K
$6.37 £4.78
-13.66%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Bridgend
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 COP 4,600
$1.63 £1.23
-11.04%
White Bread (500g)
$2.36 COP 7,496
$1.83 £1.37
28.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 COP 5,328
$2.73 £2.05
-38.46%
Eggs
$2.86 COP 9,077
$6.25 £4.69
-54.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.3K
$9.23 £6.93
10.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 COP 30.2K
$11.63 £8.72
-18.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.04 COP 44.5K
$14.48 £10.87
-3.04%
Apples (1kg)
$4.07 COP 12.9K
$2.95 £2.21
37.97%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 COP 4,742
$1.55 £1.17
-3.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.17 COP 6,891
$2.74 £2.05
-20.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 COP 7,310
$3.30 £2.48
-30.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 COP 6,113
$1.67 £1.25
15.57%
Onion (1kg)
$1.64 COP 5,196
$1.52 £1.14
7.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 COP 3,571
$1.21 £0.90
-6.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 COP 3,954
$1.58 £1.19
-20.89%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.99 COP 12.6K
$23.75 £17.82
-83.20%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.35 COP 42.3K
$10.44 £7.83
27.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 COP 5,384
$2.97 £2.23
-42.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 COP 7,525
$3.19 £2.40
-25.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Bridgend
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.21 COP 3,827
$3.40 £2.55
-64.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.5 COP 242.5K
$97.9 £73.4
-21.83%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.32 COP 4,179
$4.84 £3.63
-72.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.14 COP 6,774
$2.03 £1.52
5.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.47 COP 26.8K
$25.85 £19.39
-67.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 COP 4,114
$2.02 £1.52
-35.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K COP 88.7M
$37.7K £28.3K
-25.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K COP 112.3M
$50.8K £38.1K
-30.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Bridgend
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 COP 545.6K
$360 £270
-52.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.37 COP 42.4K
$25.43 £19.08
-47.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.73 COP 91.1K
$35.20 £26.40
-18.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Bridgend
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.24 COP 143.5K
$47.82 £35.88
-5.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.04 COP 54.0K
$10.51 £7.89
62.13%
Cinema Ticket
$6.28 COP 19.9K
$13.12 £9.85
-52.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Bridgend
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$770 COP 2.4M
$1,617 £1,213
-52.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,011 COP 28.6M
$21.9K £16.5K
-58.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Bridgend
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.4 COP 274.0K
$87.5 £65.6
-1.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.1 COP 181.1K
$45.20 £33.91
26.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$137 COP 432.9K
$88.1 £66.1
54.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 310.4K
$91.1 £68.3
7.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Bridgend
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,055 COP 3.3M
$1,219 £914
-13.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$616 COP 2.0M
$998 £749
-38.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,892 COP 6.0M
$1,141 £856
65.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 COP 3.2M
$1,671 £1,253
-38.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,059 COP 12.9M
$5,014 £3,761
-19.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,678 COP 5.3M
$3,851 £2,889
-56.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Bridgend
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$652 COP 2.1M
$2,290 £1,718
-71.51%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
5.09
114.93%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bridgend: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$616
Bridgend
$998 62% $382
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$295
Bridgend
$325 10.4% $31
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$214
Bridgend
$421 96.4% $206
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$170
Bridgend
$140 17.5% $30
Eating Out
Medellin
$168
Bridgend
$318 89.1% $150
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Bridgend
$126 35.5% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Bridgend
$74 28.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Medellin and $1,219 in Bridgend. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bridgend pays 251% 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: $46.00 in Medellin vs $86.0 in Bridgend for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $325 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇬🇧 Bridgend
🕒 Local time
13:53 1:53 PM
19:53 7:53 PM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
46,757
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Bridgend 8,220 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Bridgend

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
Medellin vs Bridgend: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Medellin and in Bridgend?
Medellin and Bridgend differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($1,614 vs $2,403 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 251% lower in Bridgend. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Medellin and in Bridgend?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,055 in Medellin versus $1,219 in Bridgend. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Medellin and Bridgend?
Childcare runs $770 in Medellin versus $1,617 in Bridgend. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Bridgend. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
At $1,614 in Medellin versus $2,403 in Bridgend, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Bridgend. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Medellin and Bridgend?
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.
Where should expats move: Medellin or Bridgend?
Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Bridgend. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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