Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Newham

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $3,180 in Newham, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Newham, United Kingdom
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Newham
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,180
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Newham

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $3,180 in Newham, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Newham $3,180

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $4,600 in Newham, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Newham $4,600

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $6,020 in Newham, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Newham $6,020

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

Both Medellin and Newham sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Newham by 135%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Newham
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 27.0K
$20.71 £15.42
-59.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.9K
$94.8 £70.6
-50.93%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.7K
$10.58 £7.88
-10.49%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.2K
$5.26 £3.91
-40.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,728
$2.65 £1.97
-33.21%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,620
$1.95 £1.45
-27.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$7.03 £5.23
-55.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.5K
$6.74 £5.01
-15.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Newham
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,971
$1.71 £1.27
-10.53%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,431
$1.84 £1.37
24.46%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,308
$2.30 £1.71
-15.65%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,945
$4.28 £3.19
-28.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.4K
$10.39 £7.73
-3.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.9K
$7.78 £5.79
34.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.3K
$12.93 £9.62
7.97%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$2.71 £2.01
49.45%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,957
$1.79 £1.33
-14.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,825
$2.98 £2.22
-29.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,439
$3.16 £2.35
-27.53%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,841
$1.46 £1.09
44.52%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,543
$1.79 £1.33
-4.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,795
$1.12 £0.83
4.46%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,125
$1.73 £1.28
-8.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.7K
$25.35 £18.87
-84.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.6K
$11.06 £8.24
26.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,714
$2.68 £2.00
-34.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,796
$2.80 £2.08
-3.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Newham
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,826
$4.41 £3.28
-73.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 247.4K
$109 £81.0
-29.89%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,860
$4.65 £3.46
-61.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,906
$2.00 £1.49
6.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.4K
$25.14 £18.71
-67.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,136
$2.31 £1.72
-44.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.7M
$43.2K £32.2K
-20.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.7M
$36.6K £27.3K
-6.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Newham
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 576.4K
$352 £262
-49.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 45.0K
$15.53 £11.56
-10.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.7K
$44.63 £33.22
-31.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Newham
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 136.0K
$39.15 £29.15
7.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.5K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.2K
$14.08 £10.48
-46.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Newham
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.6M
$1,980 £1,474
-60.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.9M
$22.1K £16.4K
-44.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Newham
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 280.0K
$88.9 £66.2
-2.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 192.2K
$46.12 £34.33
28.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 448.7K
$102 £75.6
36.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 320.5K
$97.0 £72.2
1.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Newham
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$1,310 £975
2.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$1,785 £1,329
-62.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$3,359 £2,501
-41.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$3,017 £2,245
-65.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.3M
$4,527 £3,370
-9.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
$3,432 £2,555
-43.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Newham
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
5.09
114.93%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Newham: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Newham
$1.8K 168% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Newham
$297 3.4% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Newham
$412 85.2% $189
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Newham
$328 89.7% $155
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Newham
$150 12.8% $22
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Newham
$141 51% $48
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Newham
$67 18.3% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $1,310 in Newham. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $95 in Newham. Groceries tell a different story – $307 in Medellin vs $297 in Newham – so Newham wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇬🇧 Newham
🕒 Local time
05:57 5:57 AM
10:57 10:57 AM
5 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
15,551
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,636 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.744 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.835 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Newham 8,470 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Newham

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 Newham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Newham?
Yes – Newham is pricier by about 88%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $4,770 in Newham. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Medellin and Newham?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,341 in Medellin and $1,310 in Newham. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Newham?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $95 in Newham. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Newham?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $3,180 in Newham. That makes Medellin about 47% cheaper.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Newham?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,692, than in Newham at $3,180. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Newham it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Newham?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,692 in Medellin to $3,180 in Newham. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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