Cost of Living Comparison Between St Helens and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between St Helens and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,062 per month in St Helens vs $1,716 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,170 per month in St Helens vs $2,527 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,278 per month in St Helens vs $3,338 in Medellin, rent included.

St Helens costs about 20% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both St Helens and Medellin sit above the global median – St Helens by 50%, Medellin by 25%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.55 £16.67

$8.03 COP 25.2K

180.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.0 £60.6

$48.26 COP 151.7K

69.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.07 £8.18

$9.77 COP 30.7K

13.31%

Cappuccino

$4.01 £2.97

$2.91 COP 9,149

37.80%

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

$2.75 £2.03

$1.94 COP 6,110

41.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 £1.44

$1.52 COP 4,783

28.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 £4.10

$3.09 COP 9,721

79.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 £3.61

$5.74 COP 18.1K

-14.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 £1.02

$1.36 COP 4,287

1.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 £1.35

$2.39 COP 7,505

-23.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 £1.49

$1.70 COP 5,346

18.82%

Eggs

$4.19 £3.10

$2.87 COP 9,021

45.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 £7.54

$9.94 COP 31.2K

2.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 £6.93

$10.78 COP 33.9K

-13.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.93 £8.08

$14.73 COP 46.3K

-25.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 £2.28

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-24.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 £1.04

$1.57 COP 4,940

-10.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 £2.77

$2.13 COP 6,682

76.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 £2.68

$2.21 COP 6,959

64.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 £1.40

$2.05 COP 6,435

-7.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 £1.35

$1.50 COP 4,728

22.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 £0.98

$1.19 COP 3,740

11.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 £0.98

$1.16 COP 3,640

13.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.60 £15.23

$3.90 COP 12.2K

428.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.51 £8.51

$14.44 COP 45.4K

-20.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 £2.27

$1.58 COP 4,978

94.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 £2.06

$2.83 COP 8,889

-1.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 £2.06

$1.17 COP 3,672

137.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.7 £70.0

$77.7 COP 244.3K

21.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 £2.57

$1.28 COP 4,038

171.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 £1.55

$2.09 COP 6,576

0.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.08 £11.88

$8.62 COP 27.1K

86.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 £1.48

$1.30 COP 4,080

53.85%

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

$27.4K £20.2K

$27.7K COP 86.9M

-1.04%

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

$34.0K £25.1K

$35.5K COP 111.6M

-4.29%

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

$352 £260

$176 COP 553.4K

99.84%

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

$19.23 £14.21

$13.37 COP 42.0K

43.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.17 £33.39

$29.89 COP 94.0K

51.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.81 £35.34

$44.76 COP 140.7K

6.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.12 £3.05

$17.06 COP 53.6K

-75.85%

Cinema Ticket

$17.54 £12.96

$6.20 COP 19.5K

182.90%

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

$805 £595

$793 COP 2.5M

1.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,839 £5,056

$9,019 COP 28.4M

-24.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 £51.4

$85.6 COP 269.1K

-18.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.18 £35.61

$58.5 COP 183.8K

-17.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 £69.5

$136 COP 428.4K

-31.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 £98.2

$103 COP 324.1K

28.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$804 £594

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-24.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 £486

$680 COP 2.1M

-3.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,574 £1,163

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-21.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 £966

$1,169 COP 3.7M

11.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,340 £3,947

$4,111 COP 12.9M

29.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,427 £1,794

$1,701 COP 5.3M

42.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,597 £1,919

$665 COP 2.1M

290.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.04

10.94

-53.93%

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

Last update for St Helens: September 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $804 in St Helens versus $1,060 in Medellin. 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 290% higher in St Helens, 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 $82.0 in St Helens versus $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $299 in St Helens vs $303 in Medellin – so St Helens 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

St Helens vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – St Helens is pricier by about 20%, 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 $3,092 per month in St Helens and $2,574 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in St Helens and $48.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,062 in St Helens and $1,716 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,716, than in St Helens at $2,062. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in St Helens it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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