Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Romford

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,706 in Romford, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,625
/mo nomad
Romford
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,706
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Romford

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $2,706 in Romford, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,625
  • Romford $2,706

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $4,122 in Romford, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,412
  • Romford $4,122

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $5,538 in Romford, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,199
  • Romford $5,538

Medellin is about 40% cheaper than Romford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Romford sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Romford by 100%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Romford
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.30 COP 26.3K
$23.90 £17.93
-65.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.91 COP 148.7K
$108 £81.3
-56.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.24 COP 29.3K
$10.75 £8.07
-14.05%
Cappuccino
$3.05 COP 9,676
$4.88 £3.66
-37.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,707
$2.68 £2.01
-32.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,382
$1.85 £1.39
-25.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 COP 10.3K
$7.62 £5.72
-57.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.56 COP 17.6K
$6.78 £5.09
-17.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Romford
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 COP 4,760
$1.83 £1.37
-18.03%
White Bread (500g)
$2.37 COP 7,508
$1.74 £1.30
36.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.70 COP 5,377
$2.62 £1.96
-35.11%
Eggs
$2.96 COP 9,379
$4.88 £3.66
-39.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.22 COP 32.4K
$9.51 £7.13
7.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.74 COP 30.9K
$9.56 £7.17
1.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.90 COP 44.1K
$16.02 £12.02
-13.23%
Apples (1kg)
$4.13 COP 13.1K
$3.03 £2.28
36.30%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,839
$1.37 £1.03
11.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.22 COP 7,052
$3.24 £2.43
-31.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.27 COP 7,194
$3.55 £2.66
-36.06%
Potato (1kg)
$1.99 COP 6,311
$1.66 £1.25
19.88%
Onion (1kg)
$1.67 COP 5,285
$1.82 £1.37
-8.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 COP 3,742
$1.25 £0.93
-5.60%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,919
$1.80 £1.35
-31.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.87 COP 12.3K
$23.41 £17.56
-83.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.78 COP 43.7K
$13.22 £9.92
4.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,256
$3.21 £2.41
-48.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 COP 7,615
$4.14 £3.11
-42.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Romford
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.24 COP 3,944
$4.58 £3.43
-72.93%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$78.2 COP 248.0K
$97.1 £72.8
-19.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 COP 4,044
$5.51 £4.13
-76.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.15 COP 6,803
$2.59 £1.94
-16.99%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.37 COP 26.5K
$25.48 £19.11
-67.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,288
$2.08 £1.56
-35.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.8K COP 110.2M
$38.9K £29.2K
-10.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 110.0M
$40.4K £30.3K
-14.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Romford
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 COP 528.4K
$381 £286
-56.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.62 COP 43.2K
$18.84 £14.13
-27.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.12 COP 92.3K
$43.29 £32.48
-32.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Romford
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.09 COP 143.0K
$50.6 £37.94
-10.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.18 COP 54.5K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.97 COP 22.1K
$17.03 £12.78
-59.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Romford
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.5M
$2,581 £1,936
-69.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,041 COP 28.7M
$35.1K £26.4K
-74.26%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Romford
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.8 COP 278.4K
$90.0 £67.6
-2.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.2 COP 184.4K
$46.87 £35.16
24.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$139 COP 440.7K
$91.7 £68.8
51.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.9 COP 313.5K
$130 £97.3
-23.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Romford
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,028 COP 3.3M
$1,852 £1,389
-44.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$620 COP 2.0M
$1,201 £901
-48.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,881 COP 6.0M
$3,269 £2,452
-42.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,008 COP 3.2M
$2,259 £1,695
-55.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,988 COP 12.6M
$5,605 £4,205
-28.85%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,702 COP 5.4M
$3,693 £2,770
-53.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Romford
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$663 COP 2.1M
$2,863 £2,148
-76.83%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
5
118.80%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Romford: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$619
Romford
$1.2K 93.8% $581
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$298
Romford
$330 10.8% $32
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$209
Romford
$443 112% $234
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$173
Romford
$161 6.6% $11
Eating Out
Medellin
$171
Romford
$352 106% $181
Getting Around
Medellin
$95
Romford
$134 40.6% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$59
Romford
$85 43.4% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,852 in Romford. 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 332% higher in Romford, 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 $108 in Romford. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $330 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇬🇧 Romford
🕒 Local time
15:30 3:30 PM
21:30 9:30 PM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
95,894
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 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 24, 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 Romford 8,480 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Romford

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 Romford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Romford cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Romford is pricier by about 67%, 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 $2,437 per month in Medellin and $4,059 in Romford. 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 Romford?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $108 in Romford. 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 Romford?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $2,706 in Romford. That's a gap of about 67%.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Romford?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Romford at $2,706. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Romford it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Romford 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, Romford makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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