Cost of Living Comparison Between Retford and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Retford and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,159 per month in Retford vs $1,716 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,360 per month in Retford vs $2,527 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,560 per month in Retford vs $3,338 in Medellin, rent included.

Retford is about 32% cheaper than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Retford sits 16% below the global median, while Medellin is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.17 £11.22

$8.03 COP 25.1K

88.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 £49.37

$48.26 COP 151.0K

38.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 £5.44

$9.77 COP 30.6K

-24.77%

Cappuccino

$4.11 £3.04

$2.91 COP 9,107

41.24%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 £1.35

$1.94 COP 6,082

-6.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.36

$1.52 COP 4,760

21.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.38 £3.24

$3.09 COP 9,676

41.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 £3.20

$5.74 COP 18.0K

-24.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 £1.36

$1.36 COP 4,267

35.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 £1.42

$2.39 COP 7,470

-19.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 £1.03

$1.70 COP 5,321

-17.65%

Eggs

$4.86 £3.59

$2.87 COP 8,979

69.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 £8.43

$9.94 COP 31.1K

14.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 £3.10

$10.78 COP 33.7K

-61.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.76 £9.44

$14.73 COP 46.1K

-13.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 £1.02

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-66.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 £1.01

$1.57 COP 4,917

-12.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 £1.00

$2.13 COP 6,651

-36.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 £1.28

$2.21 COP 6,926

-21.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 £1.08

$2.05 COP 6,404

-28.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 £1.15

$1.50 COP 4,706

4.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 £0.31

$1.19 COP 3,723

-64.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.16 COP 3,623

37.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.60 £17.46

$3.90 COP 12.2K

505.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 £5.89

$14.44 COP 45.2K

-44.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 £1.27

$1.58 COP 4,955

8.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 £1.54

$2.83 COP 8,847

-26.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 £2.04

$1.17 COP 3,655

135.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 243.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$13.64 £10.09

$1.28 COP 4,019

965.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.99 £2.95

$2.09 COP 6,546

90.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 £1.53

$1.30 COP 4,061

59.23%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$40.4K £29.9K

$27.7K COP 86.5M

46.25%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$44.4K £32.9K

$35.5K COP 111.1M

25.17%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$353 £261

$176 COP 550.9K

100.36%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$28.89 £21.38

$13.37 COP 41.8K

116.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.34 £35.02

$29.89 COP 93.5K

58.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$16.50 £12.21

$6.20 COP 19.4K

166.13%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,986 £1,469

$793 COP 2.5M

150.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.6K £18.2K

$9,019 COP 28.2M

172.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.5 £64.7

$85.6 COP 267.8K

2.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 £45.46

$58.5 COP 182.9K

5.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 £83.0

$136 COP 426.4K

-17.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 £118

$103 COP 322.6K

55.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,146 £847

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-43.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 £814

$1,169 COP 3.7M

-5.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,197 £1,626

$4,111 COP 12.9M

-46.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,039 £1,508

$1,701 COP 5.3M

19.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,746 £1,292

$665 COP 2.1M

162.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.3

10.94

-51.55%

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

Last update for Retford: August 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 162% higher in Retford, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Retford versus $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $242 in Retford vs $303 in Medellin – so Retford wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Retford vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 48%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,739 per month in Retford and $2,574 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Retford and $48.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Retford, where all-in costs run around $1,159, than in Medellin at $1,716. In Retford it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Retford – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Retford. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.