Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lichfield

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,377 in Lichfield, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,625
/mo nomad
Lichfield
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,377
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Lichfield

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $2,377 in Lichfield, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,625
  • Lichfield $2,377

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $3,434 in Lichfield, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,412
  • Lichfield $3,434

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $4,490 in Lichfield, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,199
  • Lichfield $4,490

Medellin is about 32% cheaper than Lichfield, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Lichfield sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Lichfield by 75%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Lichfield
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.30 COP 26.3K
$20.47 £15.36
-59.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.91 COP 148.7K
$66.7 £50.0
-29.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.24 COP 29.3K
$9.53 £7.15
-3.04%
Cappuccino
$3.05 COP 9,676
$4.69 £3.52
-34.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,707
$2.40 £1.80
-25.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,382
$1.30 £0.98
6.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 COP 10.3K
$6.69 £5.02
-51.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.56 COP 17.6K
$5.31 £3.98
4.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Lichfield
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 COP 4,760
$1.66 £1.25
-9.64%
White Bread (500g)
$2.37 COP 7,508
$1.56 £1.17
51.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.70 COP 5,377
$2.19 £1.64
-22.37%
Eggs
$2.96 COP 9,379
$3.94 £2.96
-24.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.22 COP 32.4K
$9.53 £7.15
7.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.74 COP 30.9K
$8.54 £6.40
14.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.90 COP 44.1K
$14.32 £10.74
-2.93%
Apples (1kg)
$4.13 COP 13.1K
$2.47 £1.85
67.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,839
$1.54 £1.16
-0.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.22 COP 7,052
$2.38 £1.79
-6.72%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.27 COP 7,194
$3.49 £2.62
-34.96%
Potato (1kg)
$1.99 COP 6,311
$1.52 £1.14
30.92%
Onion (1kg)
$1.67 COP 5,285
$1.58 £1.19
5.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 COP 3,742
$1.21 £0.91
-2.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,919
$1.51 £1.14
-17.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.87 COP 12.3K
$21.01 £15.76
-81.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.78 COP 43.7K
$10.90 £8.18
26.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,256
$2.58 £1.94
-35.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 COP 7,615
$3.22 £2.42
-25.47%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Lichfield
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.24 COP 3,944
$3.96 £2.97
-68.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$78.2 COP 248.0K
$110 £82.2
-28.66%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 COP 4,044
$4.81 £3.61
-73.39%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.15 COP 6,803
$2.35 £1.76
-8.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.37 COP 26.5K
$24.33 £18.25
-65.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,288
$2.11 £1.58
-36.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.8K COP 110.2M
$37.9K £28.4K
-8.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 110.0M
$40.2K £30.1K
-13.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Lichfield
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 COP 528.4K
$315 £237
-47.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.62 COP 43.2K
$16.01 £12.01
-14.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.12 COP 92.3K
$48.33 £36.26
-39.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Lichfield
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.09 COP 143.0K
$50.4 £37.79
-10.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.18 COP 54.5K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.97 COP 22.1K
$12.11 £9.09
-42.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Lichfield
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.5M
$1,246 £935
-36.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,041 COP 28.7M
$24.1K £18.1K
-62.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Lichfield
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.8 COP 278.4K
$84.2 £63.1
4.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.2 COP 184.4K
$41.96 £31.48
38.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$139 COP 440.7K
$108 £80.7
29.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.9 COP 313.5K
$108 £81.1
-8.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Lichfield
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,028 COP 3.3M
$1,221 £916
-15.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$620 COP 2.0M
$1,028 £771
-39.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,881 COP 6.0M
$1,329 £997
41.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,008 COP 3.2M
$1,683 £1,263
-40.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,988 COP 12.6M
$5,257 £3,944
-24.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,702 COP 5.4M
$4,195 £3,147
-59.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Lichfield
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$663 COP 2.1M
$4,310 £3,233
-84.61%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
5.33
105.25%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lichfield: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$619
Lichfield
$1K 65.9% $408
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$298
Lichfield
$291 2.2% $6.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$209
Lichfield
$380 81.4% $170
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$173
Lichfield
$154 11% $19
Eating Out
Medellin
$171
Lichfield
$308 80% $137
Getting Around
Medellin
$95
Lichfield
$142 49.2% $47
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$59
Lichfield
$75 26.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,221 in Lichfield. 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 550% higher in Lichfield, 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $67.0 in Lichfield. Groceries tell a different story – $298 in Medellin vs $291 in Lichfield – so Lichfield wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇬🇧 Lichfield
🕒 Local time
14:30 2:30 PM
20:30 8:30 PM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
30,600
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 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 23, 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 Lichfield 8,360 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Lichfield

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 Lichfield: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Medellin and in Lichfield compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,625 in Medellin, $2,377 in Lichfield – roughly 46% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Medellin compared to Lichfield?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $3,565 in Lichfield. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Medellin and Lichfield?
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.
How do commuting costs compare in Medellin and in Lichfield?
Public transport costs about 40% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Medellin and Lichfield?
Kindergarten costs $790 per month in Medellin and $1,246 in Lichfield. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Lichfield at $2,377. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lichfield it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Medellin and Lichfield?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,625 in Medellin to $2,377 in Lichfield. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Medellin or Lichfield safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Medellin and Lichfield?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lichfield makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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