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: $1,018 in Medellin versus $2,311 in Kirkwall.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,609 in Medellin versus $3,376 in Kirkwall.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,200 in Medellin versus $4,441 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 24% below, Kirkwall is 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 COP 19.0K

$25.31 £18.92

-76.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.12 COP 106.0K

$80.2 £60.0

-58.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 COP 22.8K

$9.91 £7.41

-28.15%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 5,457

$4.03 £3.01

-57.57%

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

$1.05 COP 3,356

$2.30 £1.72

-54.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,311

$1.61 £1.21

-55.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,502

$5.63 £4.21

-69.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.2K

$6.37 £4.76

-50.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,408

$1.60 £1.20

-33.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,192

$1.64 £1.23

-20.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,256

$2.28 £1.71

-41.67%

Eggs

$2.28 COP 7,298

$3.99 £2.98

-42.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.42 COP 14.1K

$9.60 £7.18

-53.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 COP 18.9K

$9.05 £6.76

-34.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 27.7K

$14.15 £10.58

-38.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 7,504

$3.13 £2.34

-25.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,527

$1.60 £1.20

-31.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,698

$2.78 £2.07

-47.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,415

$3.58 £2.68

-61.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,754

$1.63 £1.22

-28.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,744

$1.50 £1.12

-22.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,890

$1.10 £0.83

-18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,693

$1.52 £1.13

-44.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 7,449

$19.13 £14.30

-87.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 COP 38.1K

$11.30 £8.45

5.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,673

$2.83 £2.12

-59.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 COP 7,749

$3.10 £2.32

-21.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,687

$3.36 £2.51

-75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 130.7K

$89.3 £66.8

-54.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,517

$5.29 £3.95

-73.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,127

$1.61 £1.20

18.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 COP 25.0K

$22.94 £17.15

-65.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,020

$1.94 £1.45

-51.55%

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

$17.8K COP 57.0M

$38.6K £28.8K

-53.78%

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

$27.1K COP 86.7M

$40.4K £30.2K

-33.01%

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

$83.3 COP 266.4K

$292 £218

-71.47%

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

$9.66 COP 30.9K

$16.90 £12.63

-42.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.22 COP 77.5K

$42.81 £32.00

-43.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.22 COP 80.7K

$25.72 £19.23

-1.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 61.9K

Cinema Ticket

$4.07 COP 13.0K

$13.55 £10.13

-69.96%

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

$307 COP 981.2K

$1,598 £1,195

-80.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,981 COP 19.1M

$18.6K £13.9K

-67.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 191.9K

$82.5 £61.7

-27.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.65 COP 104.5K

$43.68 £32.66

-25.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 323.5K

$93.3 £69.8

8.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 345.7K

$98.9 £73.9

9.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.5M

$1,232 £921

-61.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.2M

$1,014 £758

-62.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 COP 2.6M

$2,074 £1,551

-60.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 COP 2.3M

$1,714 £1,281

-58.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,190 COP 10.2M

$5,027 £3,758

-36.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 COP 4.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

$1,940 £1,450

-67.94%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Kirkwall: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $1,232 in Kirkwall. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kirkwall pays 212% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $80.0 in Kirkwall for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $302 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 127% in total monthly costs ($1,018 vs $2,311 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 212% lower in Kirkwall. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $1,232 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 $80.0 in Kirkwall. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,018 per month in Medellin versus $2,311 in Kirkwall – a 127% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,018 in Medellin versus $2,311 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 127% less than in Kirkwall. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.