Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Darlington

For one person, living costs are similar in Medellin and in Darlington: $1,614 and $1,658 a month, rent and utilities included.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Darlington
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$1,658
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Darlington

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,658 in Darlington, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,614
  • Darlington $1,658

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $2,593 in Darlington, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,402
  • Darlington $2,593

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $3,528 in Darlington, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,190
  • Darlington $3,528

Medellin is about 3% cheaper than Darlington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Darlington sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Darlington by 23%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Darlington
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.93 COP 25.2K
$14.37 £10.78
-44.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.13 COP 146.3K
$58.6 £43.94
-21.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.1K
$9.42 £7.07
0.85%
Cappuccino
$3.11 COP 9,866
$3.56 £2.67
-12.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 COP 5,800
$2.36 £1.77
-22.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,360
$2.01 £1.51
-31.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.05 COP 9,672
$4.63 £3.48
-34.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.50 COP 17.4K
$4.11 £3.08
33.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Darlington
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 COP 4,600
$1.28 £0.96
13.28%
White Bread (500g)
$2.36 COP 7,496
$1.36 £1.02
73.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 COP 5,328
$2.27 £1.70
-25.99%
Eggs
$2.86 COP 9,077
$3.55 £2.67
-19.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.3K
$7.64 £5.73
33.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 COP 30.2K
$6.98 £5.24
36.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.04 COP 44.5K
$9.18 £6.89
52.94%
Apples (1kg)
$4.07 COP 12.9K
$3.26 £2.45
24.85%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 COP 4,742
$1.23 £0.92
21.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.17 COP 6,891
$3.48 £2.61
-37.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 COP 7,310
$3.82 £2.87
-39.53%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 COP 6,113
$1.67 £1.26
15.57%
Onion (1kg)
$1.64 COP 5,196
$1.78 £1.34
-7.87%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 COP 3,571
$1.19 £0.90
-5.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 COP 3,954
$1.08 £0.81
15.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.99 COP 12.6K
$21.62 £16.22
-81.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.35 COP 42.3K
$8.98 £6.74
48.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 COP 5,384
$2.01 £1.51
-15.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 COP 7,525
$3.01 £2.26
-21.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Darlington
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.21 COP 3,827
$2.58 £1.94
-53.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.5 COP 242.5K
$84.1 £63.1
-9.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.32 COP 4,179
$4.07 £3.05
-67.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.14 COP 6,774
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.47 COP 26.8K
$15.87 £11.91
-46.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 COP 4,114
$1.92 £1.44
-32.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K COP 88.7M
$19.5K £14.7K
43.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K COP 112.3M
$30.7K £23.0K
15.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Darlington
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 COP 545.6K
$266 £199
-35.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.37 COP 42.4K
$15.36 £11.52
-12.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.73 COP 91.1K
$44.69 £33.53
-35.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Darlington
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.24 COP 143.5K
$40.21 £30.17
12.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.04 COP 54.0K
$6.78 £5.09
151.33%
Cinema Ticket
$6.28 COP 19.9K
$6.67 £5.01
-5.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Darlington
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$770 COP 2.4M
$815 £611
-5.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,011 COP 28.6M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Darlington
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.4 COP 274.0K
$65.5 £49.17
31.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.1 COP 181.1K
$56.5 £42.40
1.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$137 COP 432.9K
$114 £85.6
19.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 310.4K
$114 £85.4
-14.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Darlington
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,055 COP 3.3M
$658 £493
60.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$616 COP 2.0M
$536 £402
14.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,892 COP 6.0M
$1,447 £1,085
30.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 COP 3.2M
$1,176 £882
-13.04%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,059 COP 12.9M
$2,375 £1,782
70.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,678 COP 5.3M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Darlington
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$652 COP 2.1M
$2,697 £2,024
-75.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
5.61
95.01%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Darlington: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$616
Darlington
$536 13% $80
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$295
Darlington
$252 14.5% $43
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$214
Darlington
$326 52% $111
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$170
Darlington
$158 7.4% $13
Eating Out
Medellin
$168
Darlington
$235 39.4% $66
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Darlington
$99 * 5.6% $5.2
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Darlington
$54 7.4% $4.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $658 in Darlington. 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 313% higher in Darlington, 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 $59.0 in Darlington. Groceries tell a different story – $295 in Medellin vs $252 in Darlington – so Darlington wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇬🇧 Darlington
🕒 Local time
04:17 4:17 AM
10:17 10:17 AM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
92,363
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Darlington 8,410 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Darlington

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 Darlington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Darlington cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Darlington is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $2,487 in Darlington. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 10% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $770 per month in Medellin and $815 in Darlington. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Darlington?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Darlington at $1,658. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Darlington it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Darlington more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Medellin or Darlington?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Darlington makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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