Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kirkwall Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kirkwall

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,014 in Medellin versus $2,318 in Kirkwall.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,596 in Medellin versus $3,450 in Kirkwall.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,178 in Medellin versus $4,582 in Kirkwall.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 56% less than in Kirkwall, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% below, Kirkwall is 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 COP 22.1K

$25.28 £18.68

-75.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.05 COP 119.0K

$81.2 £60.0

-59.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 COP 26.4K

$9.89 £7.31

-25.99%

Cappuccino

$1.66 COP 5,973

$4.02 £2.97

-58.71%

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

$1.10 COP 3,978

$2.33 £1.72

-52.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,816

$1.59 £1.17

-50.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 COP 6,174

$5.48 £4.05

-68.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 11.4K

$6.35 £4.70

-50.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 4,003

$1.60 £1.18

-30.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,709

$1.65 £1.22

-20.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,969

$2.22 £1.64

-37.84%

Eggs

$2.22 COP 7,992

$3.97 £2.93

-44.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 COP 15.6K

$9.75 £7.20

-55.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.9K

$8.61 £6.36

-32.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 COP 32.3K

$14.32 £10.58

-37.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 COP 8,146

$3.15 £2.33

-28.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,014

$1.63 £1.20

-31.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 COP 5,273

$2.87 £2.12

-49.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,918

$3.54 £2.62

-61.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,000

$1.63 £1.21

-31.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,190

$1.55 £1.14

-25.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,204

$1.07 £0.79

-16.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 COP 3,117

$1.46 £1.08

-40.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,476

$19.36 £14.31

-87.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.86 COP 39.1K

$10.71 £7.91

1.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,321

$2.79 £2.06

-56.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,927

$3.08 £2.28

-19.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,836

$3.27 £2.42

-75.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.77 COP 146.8K

$90.2 £66.7

-54.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 5,125

$5.59 £4.13

-74.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,885

$1.60 £1.18

19.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.65 COP 27.6K

$23.01 £17.00

-66.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 COP 3,482

$1.96 £1.45

-50.51%

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

$18.1K COP 65.2M

$39.0K £28.8K

-53.59%

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

$26.3K COP 94.8M

$41.1K £30.4K

-35.95%

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

$81.3 COP 292.9K

$291 £215

-72.07%

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

$9.63 COP 34.7K

$17.00 £12.57

-43.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.36 COP 87.8K

$42.62 £31.50

-42.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.02 COP 93.7K

$26.29 £19.43

-1.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 COP 68.1K

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 COP 14.0K

$13.41 £9.91

-70.99%

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

$304 COP 1.1M

$1,575 £1,164

-80.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,902 COP 21.3M

$18.1K £13.4K

-67.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 211.4K

$85.3 £63.0

-31.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.48 COP 117.0K

$44.07 £32.57

-26.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 366.5K

$93.8 £69.3

8.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.6K

$99.7 £73.7

8.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 COP 1.7M

$1,204 £890

-60.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$999 £739

-62.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 COP 3.1M

$2,068 £1,528

-58.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$1,692 £1,251

-57.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 COP 10.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 COP 5.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 COP 2.0M

$1,959 £1,448

-72.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

5.63

138.54%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 13, 2026

Last update for Kirkwall: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $474 in Medellin and $1,204 in Kirkwall. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kirkwall pays 262% 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: $33 in Medellin vs $81 in Kirkwall for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $299 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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 Kirkwall: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Kirkwall differ by about 129% in total monthly costs ($1,014 vs $2,318 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kirkwall earns 262% less. 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: $474 in Medellin versus $1,204 in Kirkwall. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $81.0 in Kirkwall. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,014 per month in Medellin versus $2,318 in Kirkwall – a 129% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,014 in Medellin versus $2,318 in Kirkwall, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Kirkwall. 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Kirkwall are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 129% less than in Kirkwall. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.