Cost of Living Comparison Between Adelaide and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Adelaide and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,344 in Adelaide versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,408 in Adelaide versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,472 in Adelaide versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Adelaide is roughly 127% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Adelaide is 75% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.61 A$23.72

$6.16 COP 20.1K

169.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.0 A$117

$32.60 COP 106.1K

151.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 A$14.00

$7.34 COP 23.9K

33.51%

Cappuccino

$3.33 A$4.76

$1.72 COP 5,599

93.60%

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

$2.56 A$3.65

$1.05 COP 3,420

143.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 A$3.28

$0.77 COP 2,515

198.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.56 A$9.37

$1.69 COP 5,487

288.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.90 A$11.29

$3.17 COP 10.3K

149.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.12

$1.05 COP 3,423

40.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 A$3.81

$1.30 COP 4,236

105.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 A$2.87

$1.40 COP 4,544

43.57%

Eggs

$4.51 A$6.44

$2.16 COP 7,046

108.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.88 A$14.10

$4.39 COP 14.3K

125.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.44 A$12.05

$5.88 COP 19.1K

43.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.33 A$20.46

$8.64 COP 28.1K

65.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 A$4.03

$2.28 COP 7,425

23.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.76

$1.11 COP 3,603

137.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.28

$1.53 COP 4,982

96.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 A$5.60

$1.35 COP 4,410

190.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 A$3.79

$1.13 COP 3,674

134.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 A$3.05

$1.13 COP 3,692

88.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 A$3.11

$0.85 COP 2,753

156.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 A$2.27

$0.91 COP 2,975

74.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.05 A$41.48

$2.34 COP 7,629

1141.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.96 A$19.94

$12.37 COP 40.3K

12.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 A$6.26

$1.20 COP 3,909

265.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 A$7.54

$2.49 COP 8,104

112.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 A$4.03

$0.84 COP 2,727

235.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.5 A$106

$40.57 COP 132.1K

83.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 A$6.19

$1.42 COP 4,623

204.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 A$2.68

$1.92 COP 6,235

-2.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.82 A$61.1

$7.66 COP 24.9K

459.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.69

$0.99 COP 3,223

20.20%

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

$29.3K A$41.8K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

62.49%

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

$25.7K A$36.7K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

-3.36%

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

$211 A$301

$80.8 COP 263.1K

160.69%

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

$25.72 A$36.73

$9.95 COP 32.4K

158.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.3 A$73.3

$24.18 COP 78.7K

112.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.92 A$52.7

$25.08 COP 81.6K

47.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.07 A$11.52

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-57.86%

Cinema Ticket

$14.07 A$20.09

$3.98 COP 13.0K

253.52%

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

$1,038 A$1,483

$305 COP 993.4K

240.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,486 A$10.7K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

23.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.3 A$100

$58.1 COP 189.2K

21.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 A$76.6

$32.20 COP 104.8K

66.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 A$154

$101 COP 327.9K

6.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 A$147

$108 COP 350.8K

-4.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,309 A$1,869

$477 COP 1.6M

174.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,085 A$1,550

$376 COP 1.2M

188.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,038 A$2,911

$845 COP 2.7M

141.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,725 A$2,463

$730 COP 2.4M

136.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,989 A$12.8K

$3,215 COP 10.5M

179.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,127 A$8,750

$1,372 COP 4.5M

346.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,807 A$5,437

$617 COP 2.0M

517.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.41

13.43

-52.27%

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

Last update for Adelaide: July 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,309 in Adelaide and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Adelaide pays 517% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $82.0 in Adelaide vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $193 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Adelaide vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Adelaide and Medellin differ by about 127% in total monthly costs ($2,344 vs $1,031 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 517% higher in Adelaide, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,309 in Adelaide versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,038 in Adelaide versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Adelaide. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $2,344 in Adelaide, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Adelaide. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Adelaide and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in Adelaide. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.