Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Oxford

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,210 in Oxford, rent and utilities included – about $18,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Oxford, United Kingdom
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Oxford
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Oxford

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $3,210 in Oxford, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Oxford $3,210

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $4,477 in Oxford, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Oxford $4,477

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $5,743 in Oxford, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Oxford $5,743

Medellin is about 49% cheaper than Oxford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Oxford sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Oxford by 136%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Oxford
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$24.95 £18.61
-67.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$104 £77.5
-54.73%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$10.60 £7.90
-10.38%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,734
$4.94 £3.68
-39.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$4.46 £3.32
-59.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,560
$2.19 £1.64
-35.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
$9.04 £6.74
-64.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$8.55 £6.38
-32.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Oxford
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,875
$1.69 £1.26
-10.65%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,677
$1.70 £1.26
40.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,719
$1.97 £1.47
-10.15%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,332
$4.06 £3.03
-28.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$13.74 £10.25
-25.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$8.58 £6.40
15.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
$14.83 £11.06
-5.66%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$3.33 £2.49
19.22%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,011
$1.70 £1.26
-8.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,047
$3.01 £2.24
-27.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,050
$3.73 £2.78
-41.55%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,336
$1.73 £1.29
13.29%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,131
$1.76 £1.31
-9.66%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,698
$1.21 £0.90
-4.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$1.61 £1.20
-22.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$23.70 £17.67
-83.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$11.30 £8.43
21.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,359
$3.26 £2.43
-49.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,290
$3.39 £2.53
-33.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Oxford
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,770
$3.89 £2.90
-69.92%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.8K
$110 £81.9
-29.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,094
$4.98 £3.71
-74.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,611
$3.18 £2.37
-35.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$42.14 £31.42
-79.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,348
$2.11 £1.57
-36.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.0M
$38.4K £28.7K
-11.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$41.1K £30.7K
-15.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Oxford
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.7K
$361 £269
-53.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.7K
$18.08 £13.48
-25.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$44.18 £32.94
-36.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Oxford
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.1K
$41.85 £31.20
4.42%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
$11.49 £8.56
49.61%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$16.03 £11.95
-56.89%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Oxford
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$2,254 £1,680
-64.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$15.2K £11.4K
-40.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Oxford
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$98.8 £73.7
-14.26%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.1K
$46.09 £34.36
25.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.7K
$102 £76.3
31.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$104 £77.6
-6.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Oxford
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$2,187 £1,631
-44.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$1,706 £1,272
-62.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$3,231 £2,409
-37.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$2,464 £1,837
-58.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
$8,794 £6,556
-52.58%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$6,600 £4,921
-71.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Oxford
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$4,032 £3,006
-83.70%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
4.79
128.39%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Oxford: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Oxford
$1.7K 166% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Oxford
$323 8.7% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Oxford
$423 100% $212
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Oxford
$380 124% $210
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Oxford
$158 6.4% $11
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Oxford
$146 56.3% $53
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Oxford
$74 28.5% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $2,187 in Oxford. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Oxford are about 6.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $104 in Oxford. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $323 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇬🇧 Oxford
🕒 Local time
16:30 4:30 PM
21:30 9:30 PM
5 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
165,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,619 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.746 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.836 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Oxford 8,390 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Oxford

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 Oxford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Oxford?
Yes – Oxford is pricier by about 96%, 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 $2,459 per month in Medellin and $4,815 in Oxford. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $2,187 in Oxford.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Oxford?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $104 in Oxford. 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 Oxford?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $3,210 in Oxford. That makes Medellin about 49% cheaper.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Oxford?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Oxford at $3,210. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Oxford it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Oxford more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Oxford makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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