Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Southampton

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,655 in Southampton, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Southampton, United Kingdom
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Southampton
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,655
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Southampton

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $2,655 in Southampton, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Southampton $2,655

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $3,818 in Southampton, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Southampton $3,818

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $4,981 in Southampton, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Southampton $4,981

Medellin is about 38% cheaper than Southampton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Southampton sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Southampton by 95%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Southampton
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.4K
$26.76 £20.14
-69.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.0K
$89.6 £67.4
-47.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 29.9K
$11.12 £8.37
-14.57%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,485
$5.43 £4.09
-44.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,660
$2.98 £2.24
-39.60%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,443
$2.24 £1.69
-37.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 9,990
$7.46 £5.61
-57.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.1K
$6.75 £5.08
-14.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Southampton
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,751
$1.99 £1.50
-24.12%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,480
$1.72 £1.29
38.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,573
$3.04 £2.29
-41.78%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,093
$4.42 £3.32
-34.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.1K
$9.84 £7.40
3.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.1K
$9.68 £7.28
1.96%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.0K
$14.44 £10.87
-3.12%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.5K
$2.86 £2.15
38.81%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,883
$1.75 £1.32
-11.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,867
$2.84 £2.14
-23.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,870
$3.39 £2.55
-35.69%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,174
$1.84 £1.38
6.52%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,000
$1.58 £1.19
0.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,604
$1.21 £0.91
-4.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,911
$1.82 £1.37
-31.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$21.33 £16.06
-81.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.0K
$11.13 £8.37
22.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,221
$2.96 £2.23
-43.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,103
$3.40 £2.56
-33.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Southampton
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,674
$3.32 £2.50
-64.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 243.4K
$78.1 £58.8
-0.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 3,989
$4.31 £3.25
-70.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,442
$1.95 £1.47
5.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 26.9K
$32.03 £24.11
-73.31%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,237
$2.16 £1.63
-37.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.2M
$38.2K £28.8K
-10.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.1M
$40.9K £30.8K
-15.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Southampton
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 533.7K
$327 £246
-48.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.6K
$29.33 £22.08
-53.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.3K
$53.3 £40.09
-47.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Southampton
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 137.5K
$37.74 £28.41
15.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.1K
$16.78 £12.63
2.44%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.7K
$15.96 £12.01
-56.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Southampton
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$1,886 £1,419
-57.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.7M
$18.3K £13.8K
-50.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Southampton
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 266.5K
$106 £79.7
-19.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 182.3K
$51.4 £38.64
12.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 424.6K
$102 £77.0
31.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 307.9K
$131 £98.5
-25.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Southampton
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
$1,520 £1,144
-20.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
$1,190 £896
-46.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
$2,360 £1,776
-14.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
$1,812 £1,363
-44.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.1M
$5,632 £4,239
-25.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
$4,849 £3,650
-60.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Southampton
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$3,372 £2,538
-80.51%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
4.96
120.56%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Southampton: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Southampton
$1.2K 85.5% $548
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Southampton
$320 7.9% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Southampton
$410 93.9% $198
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Southampton
$384 127% $215
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Southampton
$176 3.9% $6.7
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Southampton
$105 12.7% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Southampton
$70 21.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,520 in Southampton. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Southampton are about 5.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $90 in Southampton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $320 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇬🇧 Southampton
🕒 Local time
17:14 5:14 PM
22:14 10:14 PM
5 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
228,600
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.753 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.838 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Southampton 8,360 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Southampton

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 Southampton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Southampton?
Yes – Southampton is pricier by about 62%, 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 $3,982 in Southampton. 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 $1,520 in Southampton.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Southampton?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $90 in Southampton. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Medellin and in Southampton?
Groceries cost about 8% more in Southampton, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Southampton?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Southampton at $2,655. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Southampton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city suits remote workers better?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,639 versus $2,655 in Southampton. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
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, Southampton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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