Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lewisham

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $3,053 in Lewisham, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Lewisham
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,053
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Lewisham

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $3,053 in Lewisham, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,614
  • Lewisham $3,053

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $4,886 in Lewisham, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,402
  • Lewisham $4,886

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $6,719 in Lewisham, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,190
  • Lewisham $6,719

Medellin is about 47% cheaper than Lewisham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Lewisham sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Lewisham by 126%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Lewisham
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.93 COP 25.2K
$23.43 £17.58
-66.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.13 COP 146.3K
$79.9 £60.0
-42.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.1K
$10.40 £7.81
-8.65%
Cappuccino
$3.11 COP 9,866
$4.85 £3.64
-35.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 COP 5,800
$2.04 £1.53
-10.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,360
$1.73 £1.30
-20.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.05 COP 9,672
$6.54 £4.91
-53.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.50 COP 17.4K
$5.83 £4.37
-5.66%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Lewisham
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 COP 4,600
$1.68 £1.26
-13.69%
White Bread (500g)
$2.36 COP 7,496
$1.87 £1.40
26.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 COP 5,328
$2.06 £1.55
-18.45%
Eggs
$2.86 COP 9,077
$4.36 £3.27
-34.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.3K
$6.63 £4.97
53.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 COP 30.2K
$6.23 £4.68
52.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.04 COP 44.5K
$11.84 £8.89
18.58%
Apples (1kg)
$4.07 COP 12.9K
$4.30 £3.23
-5.35%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 COP 4,742
$1.42 £1.06
5.63%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.17 COP 6,891
$1.94 £1.45
11.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 COP 7,310
$3.34 £2.50
-30.84%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 COP 6,113
$1.35 £1.01
42.96%
Onion (1kg)
$1.64 COP 5,196
$1.86 £1.40
-11.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 COP 3,571
$0.75 £0.57
50.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 COP 3,954
$1.49 £1.12
-16.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.99 COP 12.6K
$23.34 £17.51
-82.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.35 COP 42.3K
$11.44 £8.58
16.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 COP 5,384
$2.23 £1.67
-23.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 COP 7,525
$1.82 £1.36
30.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Lewisham
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.21 COP 3,827
$3.05 £2.29
-60.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.5 COP 242.5K
$156 £117
-50.83%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.32 COP 4,179
$6.46 £4.85
-79.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.14 COP 6,774
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.47 COP 26.8K
$30.34 £22.76
-72.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 COP 4,114
$2.07 £1.55
-37.20%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K COP 88.7M
$38.3K £28.7K
-26.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K COP 112.3M
$40.0K £30.0K
-11.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Lewisham
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 COP 545.6K
$390 £292
-55.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.37 COP 42.4K
$24.02 £18.02
-44.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.73 COP 91.1K
$42.07 £31.56
-31.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Lewisham
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.24 COP 143.5K
$44.31 £33.24
2.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.04 COP 54.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.28 COP 19.9K
$16.82 £12.62
-62.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Lewisham
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$770 COP 2.4M
$804 £603
-4.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,011 COP 28.6M
$80.6K £60.5K
-88.82%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Lewisham
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.4 COP 274.0K
$153 £115
-43.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.1 COP 181.1K
$65.7 £49.26
-12.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$137 COP 432.9K
$136 £102
0.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 310.4K
$126 £94.6
-22.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Lewisham
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,055 COP 3.3M
$2,218 £1,664
-52.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$616 COP 2.0M
$1,524 £1,143
-59.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,892 COP 6.0M
$5,403 £4,053
-64.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 COP 3.2M
$3,541 £2,656
-71.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,059 COP 12.9M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,678 COP 5.3M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Lewisham
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$652 COP 2.1M
$3,136 £2,353
-79.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
5.54
97.47%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lewisham: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$616
Lewisham
$1.5K 148% $908
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$295
Lewisham
$268 8.9% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$214
Lewisham
$456 113% $242
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$170
Lewisham
$217 27.3% $46
Eating Out
Medellin
$168
Lewisham
$336 99.7% $168
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Lewisham
$174 * 86.7% $81
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Lewisham
$78 34.8% $20

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 $2,218 in Lewisham. 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 381% higher in Lewisham, 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 $80.0 in Lewisham. Groceries tell a different story – $295 in Medellin vs $268 in Lewisham – so Lewisham wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇬🇧 Lewisham
🕒 Local time
10:39 10:39 AM
16:39 4:39 PM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
96,224
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 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 19, 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 Lewisham 8,470 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Lewisham

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 Lewisham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Medellin or Lewisham?
Lewisham costs about 89% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Medellin and in Lewisham?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $4,580 in Lewisham. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Medellin or Lewisham?
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.
Are groceries more expensive in Medellin or in Lewisham?
Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Lewisham – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
How do dining costs compare in Medellin and in Lewisham?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $80.0 in Lewisham. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Medellin or in Lewisham?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Lewisham at $3,053. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lewisham it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Medellin or Lewisham?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,614 versus $3,053 in Lewisham. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Medellin or to Lewisham?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lewisham makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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