Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Swansea and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,196 in Swansea, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Swansea, United Kingdom
Medellin, Colombia
Swansea
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,196
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Swansea 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 Swansea and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,196 per month in Swansea vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Swansea $2,196
  • Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $3,130 per month in Swansea vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Swansea $3,130
  • Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $4,065 per month in Swansea vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Swansea $4,065
  • Medellin $3,186

Swansea costs about 34% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Swansea and Medellin sit above the global median – Swansea by 61%, Medellin by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Swansea
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.41 £15.36
$8.09 COP 25.4K
152.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$63.1 £47.46
$47.05 COP 148.0K
34.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.47 £7.88
$9.50 COP 29.9K
10.21%
Cappuccino
$4.76 £3.59
$3.01 COP 9,485
58.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 £1.78
$1.80 COP 5,660
31.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.26 £0.95
$1.41 COP 4,443
-10.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.89 £4.43
$3.18 COP 9,990
85.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.38 £4.80
$5.75 COP 18.1K
10.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Swansea
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.34 £1.01
$1.51 COP 4,751
-11.26%
White Bread (500g)
$2.05 £1.54
$2.38 COP 7,480
-13.87%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.06 £1.55
$1.77 COP 5,573
16.38%
Eggs
$3.52 £2.65
$2.89 COP 9,093
21.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.78 £5.86
$10.19 COP 32.1K
-23.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.33 £6.27
$9.87 COP 31.1K
-15.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.87 £9.69
$13.99 COP 44.0K
-8.01%
Apples (1kg)
$2.32 £1.74
$3.97 COP 12.5K
-41.56%
Banana (1kg)
$1.24 £0.93
$1.55 COP 4,883
-20.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.87 £2.16
$2.18 COP 6,867
31.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.57 £2.69
$2.18 COP 6,870
63.76%
Potato (1kg)
$2.25 £1.69
$1.96 COP 6,174
14.80%
Onion (1kg)
$3.05 £2.30
$1.59 COP 5,000
91.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.27 £0.96
$1.15 COP 3,604
10.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.29 £1.73
$1.24 COP 3,911
84.68%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.23 £17.48
$3.96 COP 12.5K
486.62%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.63 £8.00
$13.68 COP 43.0K
-22.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.33 £1.75
$1.66 COP 5,221
40.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 £2.56
$2.26 COP 7,103
50.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Swansea
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.12 £3.10
$1.17 COP 3,674
252.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$97.1 £73.1
$77.4 COP 243.4K
25.46%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.95 £2.97
$1.27 COP 3,989
211.02%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.68 £2.02
$2.05 COP 6,442
30.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.33 £25.08
$8.55 COP 26.9K
289.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.95 £1.47
$1.35 COP 4,237
44.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.9K £29.3K
$34.1K COP 107.2M
14.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.5K £30.5K
$34.7K COP 109.1M
16.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Swansea
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$306 £231
$170 COP 533.7K
80.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.81 £11.15
$13.55 COP 42.6K
9.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.20 £32.51
$28.07 COP 88.3K
53.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Swansea
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.28 £25.05
$43.70 COP 137.5K
-23.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.52 £11.68
$17.19 COP 54.1K
-9.71%
Cinema Ticket
$9.85 £7.41
$6.91 COP 21.7K
42.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Swansea
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,777 £1,337
$797 COP 2.5M
123.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$9,112 COP 28.7M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Swansea
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.7 £67.5
$84.7 COP 266.5K
5.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.22 £36.29
$58.0 COP 182.3K
-16.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$122 £92.0
$135 COP 424.6K
-9.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$82.6 £62.1
$97.9 COP 307.9K
-15.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Swansea
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,112 £837
$1,208 COP 3.8M
-7.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$891 £671
$642 COP 2.0M
38.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,500 £1,129
$2,028 COP 6.4M
-26.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,337 £1,007
$1,012 COP 3.2M
32.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,563 £2,682
$4,170 COP 13.1M
-14.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,615 £1,968
$1,910 COP 6.0M
36.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Swansea
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,263 £2,456
$657 COP 2.1M
396.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.04
10.94
-44.79%

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

Last update for Swansea: 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
Swansea
$891
Medellin
$642 28% $250
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Swansea
$364
Medellin
$211 42% $153
Eating Out
Swansea
$309
Medellin
$170 45% $139
Groceries & Markets
Swansea
$293
Medellin
$297 1.2% $3.6
Clothing & Footwear
Swansea
$154
Medellin
$169 9.6% $15
Getting Around
Swansea
$131
Medellin
$94 28.5% $37
Sport & Entertainment
Swansea
$53
Medellin
$58 8.6% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,112 in Swansea 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 Swansea are about 5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Swansea versus $47 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $293 in Swansea vs $297 in Medellin – so Swansea wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Swansea
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
20:38 8:38 PM
15:38 3:38 PM
5 h behind Swansea
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
239,000
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 = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Swansea Medellin 8,200 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Swansea
  • 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
Swansea vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Swansea?
Yes – Swansea is pricier by about 34%, 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 $3,293 per month in Swansea and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Swansea and Medellin?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,112 in Swansea and $1,208 in Medellin. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Is eating out cheaper in Swansea or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $63 in Swansea 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 public transport?
Public transport costs about 20% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $2,500 enough for either Swansea or Medellin?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,196 in Swansea and $1,639 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city suits remote workers better?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,639 versus $2,196 in Swansea. 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, Swansea makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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