Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Colchester

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,298 in Colchester, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in Colchester
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Colchester Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Colchester

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,298

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Colchester

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 Colchester actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $2,298 in Colchester, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Colchester $2,298

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $3,409 in Colchester, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Colchester $3,409

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $4,521 in Colchester, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Colchester $4,521

Medellin is about 30% cheaper than Colchester, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Colchester sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Colchester by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$20.69 £15.52

-61.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$92.0 £69.1

-49.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$10.61 £7.96

-10.46%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$5.41 £4.06

-42.51%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$2.72 £2.04

-32.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$1.77 £1.33

-22.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$7.07 £5.30

-56.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$6.96 £5.22

-20.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.44 £1.08

0.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$1.39 £1.04

69.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.68 £1.26

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$2.98 £2.23

-4.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$9.21 £6.91

10.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$7.58 £5.69

25.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$14.47 £10.86

-2.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$3.15 £2.37

29.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.39 £1.04

7.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$2.79 £2.10

-22.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$3.28 £2.46

-29.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.59 £1.19

21.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.45 £1.09

13.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$1.68 £1.26

-32.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.40 £1.05

-10.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$23.30 £17.48

-82.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$10.73 £8.05

24.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$2.76 £2.07

-38.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$3.51 £2.64

-32.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$3.72 £2.79

-67.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$101 £75.6

-24.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$5.77 £4.33

-77.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$1.35 £1.01

58.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$20.93 £15.70

-59.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$2.04 £1.53

-36.27%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$38.1K £28.6K

-26.58%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$39.7K £29.8K

-10.89%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$252 £189

-31.59%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$24.86 £18.65

-46.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$41.54 £31.16

-30.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$67.8 £50.8

-33.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$10.75 £8.07

58.51%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$21.25 £15.94

-70.45%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$1,061 £796

-27.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$20.1K £15.1K

-55.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$70.7 £53.1

22.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$31.15 £23.37

83.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$78.1 £58.6

74.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$49.87 £37.41

96.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$1,256 £943

-16.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$1,027 £771

-40.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$1,855 £1,392

2.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$1,684 £1,263

-39.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$4,983 £3,739

-18.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$3,357 £2,519

-50.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$3,499 £2,625

-81.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.91

122.81%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Colchester: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Colchester

$1K 44.7% 66.9% $412

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Colchester

$281 12.2% 4.6% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Colchester

$318 13.8% 48.4% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Colchester

$103 4.5% 39.2% $67

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Colchester

$330 14.3% 95.7% $161

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Colchester

$128 5.6% 37.3% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Colchester

$110 4.8% 90.7% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $1,256 in Colchester. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 436% higher in Colchester, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $92.0 in Colchester. Groceries tell a different story – $295 in Medellin vs $281 in Colchester – so Colchester wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇬🇧 Colchester

🕒 Local time

23:27 11:27 PM

05:27 5:27 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

190,098

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Colchester 8,530 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Colchester

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 Colchester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,614 in Medellin, $2,298 in Colchester – roughly 42% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $3,447 in Colchester. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 32% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $770 per month in Medellin and $1,061 in Colchester. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Colchester at $2,298. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Colchester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,614 in Medellin to $2,298 in Colchester. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Colchester makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.