Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surrey, United Kingdom and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,025 in Surrey, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Surrey, United Kingdom
Medellin, Colombia
Surrey
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,025
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Surrey and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Surrey and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,025 per month in Surrey vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Surrey $3,025
  • Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $4,456 per month in Surrey vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Surrey $4,456
  • Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $5,887 per month in Surrey vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Surrey $5,887
  • Medellin $3,186

Surrey costs about 85% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Surrey and Medellin sit above the global median – Surrey by 122%, Medellin by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Surrey
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.47 £17.66
$8.09 COP 25.4K
190.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.5 £44.75
$47.05 COP 148.0K
26.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.62 £7.24
$9.50 COP 29.9K
1.26%
Cappuccino
$4.77 £3.59
$3.01 COP 9,485
58.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 £1.70
$1.80 COP 5,660
25.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48 £1.11
$1.41 COP 4,443
4.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.54 £4.92
$3.18 COP 9,990
105.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.15 £4.63
$5.75 COP 18.1K
6.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Surrey
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 £0.99
$1.51 COP 4,751
-13.25%
White Bread (500g)
$2.10 £1.58
$2.38 COP 7,480
-11.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.60 £1.21
$1.77 COP 5,573
-9.60%
Eggs
$4.15 £3.13
$2.89 COP 9,093
43.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.62 £6.49
$10.19 COP 32.1K
-15.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.33 £7.02
$9.87 COP 31.1K
-5.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.52 £12.43
$13.99 COP 44.0K
18.08%
Apples (1kg)
$3.19 £2.40
$3.97 COP 12.5K
-19.65%
Banana (1kg)
$1.48 £1.12
$1.55 COP 4,883
-4.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 £1.53
$2.18 COP 6,867
-6.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.26 £2.45
$2.18 COP 6,870
49.54%
Potato (1kg)
$1.38 £1.04
$1.96 COP 6,174
-29.59%
Onion (1kg)
$1.79 £1.35
$1.59 COP 5,000
12.58%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.40 £1.06
$1.15 COP 3,604
21.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 £0.88
$1.24 COP 3,911
-5.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.32 £17.55
$3.96 COP 12.5K
488.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.47 £7.88
$13.68 COP 43.0K
-23.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 £1.67
$1.66 COP 5,221
33.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 £1.88
$2.26 COP 7,103
10.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Surrey
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.90 £2.93
$1.17 COP 3,674
233.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$77.4 COP 243.4K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.22 £3.93
$1.27 COP 3,989
311.02%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$2.05 COP 6,442
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$8.55 COP 26.9K
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.93 £1.45
$1.35 COP 4,237
42.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.1K £28.7K
$34.1K COP 107.2M
11.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.0K £30.8K
$34.7K COP 109.1M
18.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surrey
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$263 £198
$170 COP 533.7K
54.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.29 £10.00
$13.55 COP 42.6K
-1.92%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.87 £27.00
$28.07 COP 88.3K
27.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Surrey
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.7 £39.69
$43.70 COP 137.5K
20.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.44 £13.88
$17.19 COP 54.1K
7.27%
Cinema Ticket
$13.07 £9.84
$6.91 COP 21.7K
89.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Surrey
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,137 £1,609
$797 COP 2.5M
168.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$29.9K £22.5K
$9,112 COP 28.7M
228.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Surrey
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.7 £39.69
$84.7 COP 266.5K
-37.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.02 £30.12
$58.0 COP 182.3K
-30.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.4 £65.8
$135 COP 424.6K
-35.26%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.0 £70.0
$97.9 COP 307.9K
-4.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Surrey
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,945 £1,463
$1,208 COP 3.8M
60.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,864 £1,403
$642 COP 2.0M
190.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,308 £2,489
$2,028 COP 6.4M
63.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,400 £2,559
$1,012 COP 3.2M
236.02%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,170 COP 13.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,255 £5,460
$1,910 COP 6.0M
279.80%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Surrey
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,565 £3,436
$657 COP 2.1M
594.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.4
10.94
-50.64%

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

Last update for Surrey: October 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Surrey
$1.9K
Medellin
$642 65.6% $1.2K
Eating Out
Surrey
$334
Medellin
$170 49.2% $164
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surrey
$312
Medellin
$211 32.3% $101
Groceries & Markets
Surrey
$293
Medellin
$297 1.4% $4.1
Clothing & Footwear
Surrey
$123
Medellin
$169 37.5% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Surrey
$79
Medellin
$58 27.1% $21
Getting Around
Surrey
$21 *
Medellin
$94 350% $73

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,945 in Surrey versus $1,208 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 in Surrey are about 6.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59 in Surrey versus $47 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $293 in Surrey vs $297 in Medellin – so Surrey wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Surrey
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
16:55 4:55 PM
11:55 11:55 AM
5 h behind Surrey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
585
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

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).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Surrey Medellin 8,440 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Surrey
  • Medellin

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
Surrey vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Surrey?
Yes – Surrey is pricier by about 85%, 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 $4,538 per month in Surrey and $2,459 in Medellin. 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 $1,945 in Surrey.
Is eating out cheaper in Surrey or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $59 in Surrey and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $2,137 per month in Surrey and $797 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Surrey or in Medellin?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Surrey at $3,025. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Surrey it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Surrey or Medellin 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, Surrey makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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