Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Whitehaven

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,167 in Whitehaven, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Whitehaven, United Kingdom
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Whitehaven
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,167
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Whitehaven

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $2,167 in Whitehaven, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Whitehaven $2,167

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $3,489 in Whitehaven, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Whitehaven $3,489

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $4,810 in Whitehaven, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Whitehaven $4,810

Medellin is about 24% cheaper than Whitehaven, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Whitehaven sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Whitehaven by 59%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Whitehaven
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$23.64 £17.65
-65.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.7K
$106 £79.4
-55.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.6K
$10.56 £7.88
-10.04%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,722
$5.02 £3.75
-40.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,801
$2.43 £1.81
-25.93%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,554
$1.32 £0.99
6.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.2K
$8.05 £6.01
-60.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.5K
$7.95 £5.94
-27.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Whitehaven
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,869
$1.78 £1.33
-15.17%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,667
$1.67 £1.25
42.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,712
$2.24 £1.67
-20.98%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,320
$5.01 £3.74
-42.32%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$9.10 £6.80
11.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.8K
$9.35 £6.98
5.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.1K
$16.08 £12.00
-13.00%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$2.96 £2.21
34.12%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,005
$1.98 £1.48
-21.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,039
$2.73 £2.04
-20.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,041
$3.75 £2.80
-41.87%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,328
$2.09 £1.56
-6.22%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,125
$1.61 £1.21
-1.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,694
$1.27 £0.95
-9.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,009
$1.88 £1.40
-34.04%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$23.46 £17.51
-83.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.1K
$11.11 £8.29
23.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,352
$3.08 £2.30
-46.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,281
$3.11 £2.32
-27.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Whitehaven
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,766
$3.68 £2.75
-68.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.5K
$96.7 £72.2
-20.01%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,089
$5.20 £3.88
-75.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,603
$1.84 £1.38
11.41%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$28.34 £21.16
-69.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,343
$2.14 £1.60
-36.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 109.8M
$38.9K £29.0K
-12.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.8M
$41.0K £30.6K
-15.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Whitehaven
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.0K
$332 £248
-48.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.7K
$13.20 £9.85
2.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.5K
$22.95 £17.13
22.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Whitehaven
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 140.9K
$45.77 £34.17
-4.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.4K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$14.90 £11.12
-53.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Whitehaven
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$1,626 £1,214
-51.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$13.2K £9,884
-31.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Whitehaven
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.2K
$83.3 £62.2
1.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 186.9K
$49.35 £36.85
17.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.2K
$108 £80.5
25.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 315.6K
$115 £86.0
-15.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Whitehaven
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$1,082 £808
11.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$762 £569
-15.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$2,129 £1,590
-4.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$1,669 £1,246
-39.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.4M
$4,973 £3,713
-16.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$3,807 £2,842
-49.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Whitehaven
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$3,687 £2,753
-82.17%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
4.77
129.35%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Whitehaven: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Whitehaven
$762 18.7% $120
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Whitehaven
$323 8.8% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Whitehaven
$369 74.5% $157
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Whitehaven
$352 108% $183
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Whitehaven
$160 5.3% $9
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Whitehaven
$126 34.5% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Whitehaven
$76 31.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,082 in Whitehaven. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Whitehaven are about 5.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $106 in Whitehaven. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $323 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇬🇧 Whitehaven
🕒 Local time
02:38 2:38 AM
07:38 7:38 AM
5 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
25,032
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Whitehaven 8,290 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Whitehaven

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 Whitehaven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Whitehaven?
Yes – Whitehaven is pricier by about 32%, 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 $3,251 in Whitehaven. 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 Whitehaven, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,082 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Whitehaven?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $106 in Whitehaven. 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 Whitehaven?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $2,167 in Whitehaven. That makes Medellin about 24% cheaper.
Is $2,500 enough for either Medellin or Whitehaven?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $2,167 in Whitehaven, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Whitehaven?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $2,167 in Whitehaven. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
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, Whitehaven makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Medellin vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?