Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alice Springs and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $1,798 in Alice Springs, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. The total is higher in Alice Springs despite lower rent and utilities.

88

Cost of Living Index in Alice Springs
Learn more

Alice Springs Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Alice Springs

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,798

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,798 in Alice Springs versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Alice Springs $1,798
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,720 in Alice Springs versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Alice Springs $2,720
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,641 in Alice Springs versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Alice Springs $3,641
Medellin $3,199

Living in Alice Springs is roughly 11% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alice Springs 33% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.27 A$24.85

$8.30 COP 26.3K

108.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.0 A$119

$46.91 COP 148.7K

76.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.70 A$15.40

$9.24 COP 29.3K

15.80%

Cappuccino

$4.28 A$6.16

$3.05 COP 9,676

40.33%

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

$2.87 A$4.13

$1.80 COP 5,707

59.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 A$4.06

$1.38 COP 4,382

104.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.48 A$9.33

$3.24 COP 10.3K

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.54 A$13.72

$5.56 COP 17.6K

71.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 A$2.05

$1.50 COP 4,760

-4.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 A$3.03

$2.37 COP 7,508

-11.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 A$2.57

$1.70 COP 5,377

4.71%

Eggs

$5.10 A$7.33

$2.96 COP 9,379

72.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.17 A$14.63

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-0.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 A$11.94

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-14.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.50 A$20.87

$13.90 COP 44.1K

4.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 A$5.53

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-7.02%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.32

$1.53 COP 4,839

96.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 A$3.78

$2.22 COP 7,052

18.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.85 A$9.86

$2.27 COP 7,194

201.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.58

$1.99 COP 6,311

25.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 A$3.28

$1.67 COP 5,285

36.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 A$3.50

$1.18 COP 3,742

105.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 A$3.40

$1.24 COP 3,919

90.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.22 A$40.60

$3.87 COP 12.3K

629.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.77 A$19.82

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-0.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 A$4.64

$1.66 COP 5,256

93.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 A$8.04

$2.40 COP 7,615

132.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.79 A$4.02

$1.24 COP 3,944

125.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 A$99.1

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-11.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.84 A$6.97

$1.28 COP 4,044

278.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 A$2.24

$2.15 COP 6,803

-27.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.74 A$39.92

$8.37 COP 26.5K

231.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.94

$1.35 COP 4,288

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

$37.6K A$54.1K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

8.20%

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

$23.0K A$33.0K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-33.79%

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

$213 A$306

$167 COP 528.4K

27.54%

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

$28.21 A$40.59

$13.62 COP 43.2K

107.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.86 A$66.0

$29.12 COP 92.3K

57.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 A$81.9

$45.09 COP 143.0K

26.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.95 A$25.83

$17.18 COP 54.5K

4.48%

Cinema Ticket

$13.94 A$20.06

$6.97 COP 22.1K

100.00%

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

$1,941 A$2,793

$790 COP 2.5M

145.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K A$29.6K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

127.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 A$105

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-16.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.03 A$17.31

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-79.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 A$198

$139 COP 440.7K

-0.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 A$173

$98.9 COP 313.5K

21.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 A$2,022

$1,028 COP 3.3M

36.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$518 A$746

$620 COP 2.0M

-16.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 A$1,823

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-32.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$765 A$1,101

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-24.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,502 A$6,478

$3,988 COP 12.6M

12.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,696 A$6,757

$1,702 COP 5.4M

175.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,301 A$6,189

$663 COP 2.1M

548.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

10.94

-46.07%

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

Last update for Alice Springs: October 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Alice Springs

$518 28.8%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 19.5% $101

Groceries & Markets

Alice Springs

$365 20.3%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 18.4% $67

Eating Out

Alice Springs

$296 16.5%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 42.3% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alice Springs

$287 15.9%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 26.9% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Alice Springs

$154 8.6%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 12% $18

Getting Around

Alice Springs

$93 5.2%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 2.7% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

Alice Springs

$85 4.7%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 30.4% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,405 in Alice Springs and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alice Springs pays 548% 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: $83.0 in Alice Springs vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $298 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Alice Springs

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

11:16 11:16 AM

20:46 8:46 PM

14 h 30 min behind Alice Springs

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,855

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Alice Springs Medellin 16,320 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Alice Springs
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

Alice Springs vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Alice Springs. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 548% higher in Alice Springs, 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: $1,405 in Alice Springs versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Alice Springs. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $83.0 in Alice Springs. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,625 in Medellin versus $1,798 in Alice Springs, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Alice Springs. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,625 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Alice Springs 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 11% less than in Alice Springs. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.