✦ Compare
Dublin vs
Medellín
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
Dublin, IE vs Medellín, CO at a glance — Medellín, CO is 64% cheaper than Dublin, IE overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $550/mo versus $2,200/mo. Top income tax: 39% vs 40%.
To keep the same standard of living in Medellín, CO, you'd need
$27,371 / year
Medellín, CO is 64% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Medellín, CO vs Dublin, IE)
- Housing-76%
- Food & groceries-60%
- Transport-64%
- Utilities-55%
- Healthcare-50%
- Goods & services-52%
◎ How Dublin, IE and Medellín, CO compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Dublin, IE | Medellín, CO | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 135 | 49 |
| Housing | 176 | 42 |
| Food | 120 | 48 |
| Transport | 110 | 40 |
| Utilities | 122 | 55 |
| Healthcare | 110 | 55 |
| Goods & services | 120 | 58 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $2,200/mo | $550/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $1,700/mo | $350/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $4,200/mo | $1,100/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $8,000 | $1,800 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $740 | $2,029 |
| Inexpensive meal | $20 | $5 |
| Monthly transit pass | $110 | $40 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 40% | 39% |
| VAT / sales tax | 23% | 19% |
| Social security (employee) | 4% | — |
| Corporate tax | 12.5% | 35% |
| Capital gains | 33% | — |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $3,300/mo | $450/mo |
| Avg annual wage (OECD, PPP) | $70,113✓ | — |
| Minimum wage | $2,772/mo✓ | $330/mo |
| GDP per capita | $131,592✓ | $6,976✓ |
| Inflation (annual) | 2.2%✓ | 5.2%✓ |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | Yes |
| English proficiency | Native | Low |
| Coworking spaces | 50 | 40 |
| Time zone | UTC+0 | UTC-5 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | 68 | 59 |
| Safety index | 55 | 48 |
| Healthcare index | 74 | 70 |
| Pollution index | 30 | 55 |
| Internet speed | 100 Mbps | 80 Mbps |
| Walkability | 78 | 55 |
| Public transport | 65 | 68 |
| Family-friendly | 64 | 58 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Life expectancy | 83 yr✓ | 74 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +5 °C | +22 °C |
| July avg | +16 °C | +22 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 70 | 200 |
| Rainfall / year | 760 mm | 1,600 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 1.5 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Ireland vs Colombia. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
✓ = official statistics (OECD (PPP), Eurostat 2026, World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →
Cost of living: Dublin vs Medellín — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to Dublin
Europe's English-speaking tech HQ (Google, Meta, Stripe) — great jobs, but a genuine housing crunch.
- Currency
- Euro (€ EUR)
- Languages
- English, Irish
- Time zone
- UTC+0
- Internet
- 100 Mbps
- English
- Native language
- Safety
- 55/100
- Climate
- ❄ 5°C · ☀ 16°C · 70 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- G · 230V
- Driving
- Left-hand side
- Popular areas
- City Centre · Rathmines · Portobello
Good to know before you move to Medellín
A dramatic turnaround story with a year-round spring climate and a modern metro. El Poblado and Laureles anchor a booming nomad scene; costs are low and healthcare excellent, but safety still varies sharply by neighbourhood.
- Currency
- Colombian peso ($ COP)
- Languages
- Spanish
- Time zone
- UTC-5
- Internet
- 80 Mbps
- English
- Rarely spoken
- Safety
- 48/100
- Climate
- ❄ 22°C · ☀ 22°C · 200 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B · 110V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- El Poblado · Laureles · Envigado · Belén
Plan your move to Dublin
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalDiscoverCars
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- Tours & ticketsTiqets
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Flight compensationAirHelp
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Plan your move to Medellín
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalLocalrent
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
Sponsored
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Dublin to Medellín: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Dublin to Medellín, your cost of living will be roughly 64% cheaper. Medellín’s cost-of-living index is 49 versus 135 for Dublin (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Dublin cheaper than Medellín?
Medellín is about 64% cheaper than Dublin overall — its cost-of-living index is 49 versus 135 for Dublin.
Which is more expensive, Dublin or Medellín?
Dublin is more expensive than Medellín. Its cost-of-living index is 135 vs 49 (US = 100) — about 176% higher.
Is rent cheaper in Dublin or Medellín?
Rent is cheaper in Medellín — about $550/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $2,200 in Dublin.
How much do you need to earn in Medellín to live like in Dublin?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Dublin is worth about $27,371 in Medellín. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Dublin or Medellín?
Colombia has the lower top income-tax rate — 39% versus 40% in Ireland.
◷ More comparisons from Dublin
How we calculate these figures →
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.