Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Buckingham Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Buckingham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $2,232 in Buckingham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $3,328 in Buckingham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $4,423 in Buckingham.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 25% less than in Buckingham, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 23% above, Buckingham 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$20.42 £15.25

-60.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$80.3 £60.0

-40.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$10.78 £8.05

-8.26%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$4.65 £3.47

-32.69%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$2.10 £1.56

-9.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$1.49 £1.12

1.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$5.85 £4.37

-46.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$4.79 £3.57

20.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.53 £1.14

-5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$1.84 £1.38

35.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$2.75 £2.05

-35.64%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$4.09 £3.06

-27.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$9.59 £7.16

5.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$7.95 £5.93

27.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$16.90 £12.62

-15.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$3.27 £2.44

26.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.66 £1.24

-3.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$2.76 £2.06

-18.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$3.26 £2.43

-30.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$1.19 £0.89

71.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$1.82 £1.36

-15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$1.21 £0.90

-3.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$1.33 £1.00

-1.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$24.14 £18.02

-83.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$10.13 £7.57

38.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$3.23 £2.41

-46.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$2.24 £1.67

28.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$3.62 £2.70

-66.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

$96.6 £72.1

-16.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$4.27 £3.19

-69.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$2.69 £2.01

-18.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$24.06 £17.96

-63.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.95 £1.45

-29.74%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$38.3K £28.6K

-27.40%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$41.4K £30.9K

-13.49%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$209 £156

-15.03%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$17.91 £13.38

-22.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$44.57 £33.28

-33.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

$46.67 £34.85

-3.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$13.71 £10.23

-51.50%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$1,457 £1,088

-44.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$15.9K £11.9K

-42.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$86.0 £64.2

4.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$36.96 £27.59

59.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$75.8 £56.6

82.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$109 £81.3

-6.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$1,487 £1,111

-28.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$1,048 £782

-36.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$2,067 £1,544

-8.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$1,708 £1,275

-39.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$5,229 £3,905

-20.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$3,961 £2,958

-57.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

$4,596 £3,432

-85.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.06

116.21%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Buckingham: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $1,487 in Buckingham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buckingham pays 578% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $80.0 in Buckingham. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $303, with Buckingham cheaper for home cooking.

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 Buckingham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Buckingham differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $2,232 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 578% lower in Buckingham. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $1,487 in Buckingham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $2,232 in Buckingham – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 20% less than in Buckingham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,681 in Medellin versus $2,232 in Buckingham, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Buckingham. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Buckingham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.