Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Redcar

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,589 a month against $2,378 in Redcar, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,589
/mo nomad
Redcar
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,378
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Redcar

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $2,378 in Redcar, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,589
  • Redcar $2,378

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $3,424 in Redcar, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,364
  • Redcar $3,424

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $4,469 in Redcar, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,139
  • Redcar $4,469

Medellin is about 33% cheaper than Redcar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Redcar sit above the global median – Medellin by 19%, Redcar by 77%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Redcar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.01 COP 25.8K
$21.40 £16.17
-62.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.55 COP 149.9K
$68.5 £51.8
-32.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.43 COP 30.4K
$12.07 £9.12
-21.87%
Cappuccino
$2.91 COP 9,374
$3.43 £2.59
-15.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 COP 5,643
$2.34 £1.77
-25.21%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.32 COP 4,263
$1.94 £1.47
-31.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$4.65 £3.51
-32.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.55 COP 17.9K
$4.30 £3.25
29.07%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Redcar
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 COP 4,542
$1.24 £0.93
13.71%
White Bread (500g)
$2.44 COP 7,858
$1.36 £1.03
79.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.63 COP 5,245
$3.57 £2.70
-54.34%
Eggs
$2.82 COP 9,084
$3.65 £2.76
-22.74%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.69 COP 31.2K
$7.85 £5.93
23.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.32 COP 30.0K
$7.27 £5.50
28.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.46 COP 43.3K
$7.50 £5.67
79.47%
Apples (1kg)
$4.00 COP 12.9K
$3.28 £2.48
21.95%
Banana (1kg)
$1.48 COP 4,768
$2.93 £2.22
-49.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.12 COP 6,839
$3.46 £2.61
-38.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.25 COP 7,253
$3.65 £2.76
-38.36%
Potato (1kg)
$1.91 COP 6,155
$1.73 £1.31
10.40%
Onion (1kg)
$1.62 COP 5,214
$1.77 £1.34
-8.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,696
$1.20 £0.91
-4.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 COP 4,063
$1.97 £1.49
-36.04%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.82 COP 12.3K
$18.40 £13.91
-79.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.11 COP 42.2K
$9.08 £6.86
44.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 COP 5,136
$4.88 £3.69
-67.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,263
$3.68 £2.78
-38.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Redcar
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,770
$3.36 £2.54
-65.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$75.0 COP 241.5K
$84.2 £63.6
-10.86%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,098
$4.29 £3.24
-70.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,600
$1.79 £1.35
14.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.20 COP 26.4K
$33.30 £25.17
-75.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 COP 4,088
$2.09 £1.58
-39.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K COP 86.2M
$37.3K £28.2K
-28.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.4K COP 110.8M
$40.2K £30.4K
-14.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Redcar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$162 COP 522.3K
$350 £265
-53.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.12 COP 42.3K
$25.45 £19.23
-48.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.09 COP 90.5K
$45.04 £34.05
-37.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Redcar
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.33 COP 142.7K
$48.50 £36.66
-8.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 COP 52.6K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.09 COP 19.6K
$17.02 £12.87
-64.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Redcar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$764 COP 2.5M
$813 £614
-5.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,904 COP 28.7M
$22.7K £17.2K
-60.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Redcar
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.0 COP 273.6K
$110 £83.2
-22.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.5 COP 185.1K
$55.0 £41.58
4.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$132 COP 424.2K
$113 £85.3
16.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.8 COP 308.3K
$110 £83.3
-13.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Redcar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,028 COP 3.3M
$1,210 £915
-15.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$604 COP 1.9M
$876 £662
-31.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,802 COP 5.8M
$1,817 £1,373
-0.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$993 COP 3.2M
$1,731 £1,309
-42.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,921 COP 12.6M
$5,711 £4,317
-31.34%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,639 COP 5.3M
$3,459 £2,614
-52.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Redcar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$626 COP 2.0M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
5.53
97.83%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Redcar: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$604
Redcar
$876 45% $272
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$288
Redcar
$290 0.7% $2
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$203
Redcar
$420 107% $217
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$166
Redcar
$175 4.9% $8.2
Eating Out
Medellin
$166
Redcar
$297 78.8% $131
Getting Around
Medellin
$91
Redcar
$111 21.5% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Redcar
$83 46.1% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,210 in Redcar. 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $69.0 in Redcar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $290 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇬🇧 Redcar
🕒 Local time
17:18 5:18 PM
23:18 11:18 PM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
36,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 9, 2026: 1 USD = 3,220 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 9, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.848 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Redcar 8,450 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Redcar

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 Redcar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Redcar cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Redcar is pricier by about 50%, 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 $2,384 per month in Medellin and $3,567 in Redcar. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Redcar?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $69.0 in Redcar. 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 Redcar?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Medellin and $2,378 in Redcar. That's a gap of about 50%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Redcar?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,589, than in Redcar at $2,378. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Redcar it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Redcar 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Redcar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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