Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Fort William

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,455 in Fort William, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,625
/mo nomad
Fort William
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,455
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Fort William

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $2,455 in Fort William.

  • Medellin $1,625
  • Fort William $2,455

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $3,592 in Fort William.

  • Medellin $2,412
  • Fort William $3,592

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $4,730 in Fort William.

  • Medellin $3,199
  • Fort William $4,730

Living in Medellin costs roughly 34% less than in Fort William, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Fort William 81% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Fort William
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.30 COP 26.3K
$20.26 £15.20
-59.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.91 COP 148.7K
$98.3 £73.8
-52.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.24 COP 29.3K
$10.59 £7.95
-12.75%
Cappuccino
$3.05 COP 9,676
$4.63 £3.47
-34.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,707
$2.73 £2.05
-34.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,382
$1.96 £1.47
-29.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 COP 10.3K
$7.03 £5.28
-53.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.56 COP 17.6K
$7.81 £5.86
-28.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Fort William
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 COP 4,760
$1.48 £1.11
1.35%
White Bread (500g)
$2.37 COP 7,508
$1.73 £1.30
36.99%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.70 COP 5,377
$2.03 £1.52
-16.26%
Eggs
$2.96 COP 9,379
$3.49 £2.61
-15.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.22 COP 32.4K
$9.00 £6.75
13.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.74 COP 30.9K
$10.71 £8.03
-9.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.90 COP 44.1K
$15.56 £11.67
-10.67%
Apples (1kg)
$4.13 COP 13.1K
$2.86 £2.15
44.41%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,839
$1.30 £0.98
17.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.22 COP 7,052
$2.06 £1.54
7.77%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.27 COP 7,194
$3.80 £2.85
-40.26%
Potato (1kg)
$1.99 COP 6,311
$1.16 £0.87
71.55%
Onion (1kg)
$1.67 COP 5,285
$1.35 £1.01
23.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 COP 3,742
$1.20 £0.90
-1.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,919
$1.60 £1.20
-22.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.87 COP 12.3K
$21.80 £16.36
-82.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.78 COP 43.7K
$10.96 £8.23
25.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,256
$2.71 £2.03
-38.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 COP 7,615
$3.10 £2.32
-22.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Fort William
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.24 COP 3,944
$3.66 £2.75
-66.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$78.2 COP 248.0K
$108 £80.9
-27.51%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 COP 4,044
$4.04 £3.03
-68.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.15 COP 6,803
$2.44 £1.83
-11.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.37 COP 26.5K
$23.80 £17.86
-64.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,288
$2.15 £1.62
-37.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.8K COP 110.2M
$38.6K £28.9K
-9.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 110.0M
$39.8K £29.9K
-12.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Fort William
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 COP 528.4K
$378 £284
-55.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.62 COP 43.2K
$27.94 £20.96
-51.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.12 COP 92.3K
$43.04 £32.29
-32.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Fort William
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.09 COP 143.0K
$46.86 £35.16
-3.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.18 COP 54.5K
$6.75 £5.06
154.52%
Cinema Ticket
$6.97 COP 22.1K
$11.56 £8.67
-39.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Fort William
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.5M
$1,792 £1,345
-55.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,041 COP 28.7M
$23.5K £17.6K
-61.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Fort William
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.8 COP 278.4K
$96.2 £72.2
-8.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.2 COP 184.4K
$48.12 £36.10
20.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$139 COP 440.7K
$104 £77.8
33.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.9 COP 313.5K
$115 £86.4
-14.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Fort William
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,028 COP 3.3M
$1,213 £910
-15.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$620 COP 2.0M
$1,012 £759
-38.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,881 COP 6.0M
$2,161 £1,621
-12.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,008 COP 3.2M
$1,628 £1,221
-38.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,988 COP 12.6M
$5,096 £3,823
-21.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,702 COP 5.4M
$3,553 £2,666
-52.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Fort William
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$663 COP 2.1M
$1,973 £1,480
-66.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
5.11
114.09%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Fort William: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$619
Fort William
$1K 63.3% $392
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$298
Fort William
$303 1.6% $4.7
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$209
Fort William
$449 115% $240
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$173
Fort William
$163 5.4% $9.3
Eating Out
Medellin
$171
Fort William
$319 86.7% $148
Getting Around
Medellin
$95
Fort William
$139 45.8% $44
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$59
Fort William
$70 18.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $1,213 in Fort William. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort William pays 197% 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: $47.00 in Medellin vs $98.0 in Fort William for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $303 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇬🇧 Fort William
🕒 Local time
11:23 11:23 AM
17:23 5:23 PM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
10,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 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 22, 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 Fort William 8,250 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Fort William

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 Fort William: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fort William cheaper than Medellin?
Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Medellin or Fort William?
On paper, salaries run 197% lower in Fort William. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Medellin and Fort William?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,213 in Fort William. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Medellin and in Fort William?
Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Fort William. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Fort William?
Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $98.0 in Fort William. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Fort William?
At $1,625 in Medellin versus $2,455 in Fort William, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Fort William. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Medellin or Fort William more family-friendly?
For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Fort William, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Fort William. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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