Cost of Living Comparison Between Ballarat and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Ballarat and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,676 in Ballarat versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,749 in Ballarat versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,823 in Ballarat versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Ballarat is roughly 63% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ballarat is 25% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.18 A$20.29

$6.16 COP 20.0K

130.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.2 A$92.0

$32.60 COP 106.0K

97.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.73 A$13.94

$7.34 COP 23.9K

32.56%

Cappuccino

$3.55 A$5.09

$1.72 COP 5,592

106.40%

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

$2.53 A$3.62

$1.05 COP 3,416

140.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 A$2.89

$0.77 COP 2,511

162.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.03 A$8.63

$1.69 COP 5,480

256.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.01 A$10.03

$3.17 COP 10.3K

121.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.09

$1.05 COP 3,418

39.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 A$3.68

$1.30 COP 4,230

97.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 A$2.21

$1.40 COP 4,538

10.00%

Eggs

$4.27 A$6.12

$2.16 COP 7,037

97.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.82 A$12.62

$4.39 COP 14.3K

100.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.47 A$13.56

$5.88 COP 19.1K

61.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.55 A$20.83

$8.64 COP 28.1K

68.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.67

$2.28 COP 7,415

42.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.03

$1.11 COP 3,599

153.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.13

$1.53 COP 4,976

88.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.88 A$5.56

$1.35 COP 4,405

187.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 A$3.85

$1.13 COP 3,669

138.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 A$3.33

$1.13 COP 3,687

106.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.13

$0.85 COP 2,749

157.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 A$1.49

$0.91 COP 2,971

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.14 A$44.58

$2.34 COP 7,619

1230.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 A$19.95

$12.37 COP 40.2K

12.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.07

$1.20 COP 3,904

78.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 A$4.15

$2.49 COP 8,094

16.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 A$2.45

$0.84 COP 2,724

103.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.6 A$92.6

$40.57 COP 131.9K

59.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 A$3.33

$1.42 COP 4,617

63.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 A$1.65

$1.92 COP 6,227

-40.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.91 A$35.67

$7.66 COP 24.9K

225.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 A$1.64

$0.99 COP 3,219

15.15%

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

$27.8K A$39.8K

$18.0K COP 58.6M

54.15%

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

$23.1K A$33.1K

$26.6K COP 86.6M

-13.06%

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

$153 A$219

$80.8 COP 262.7K

89.06%

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

$20.80 A$29.78

$9.95 COP 32.3K

109.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.2 A$71.8

$24.18 COP 78.6K

107.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 A$46.26

$25.08 COP 81.5K

28.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.46 A$22.14

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-19.27%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 A$16.05

$3.98 COP 13.0K

181.66%

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

$321 A$460

$305 COP 992.2K

5.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.0K A$27.2K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

214.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.8 A$94.2

$58.1 COP 189.0K

13.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 A$76.0

$32.20 COP 104.7K

64.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 A$123

$101 COP 327.5K

-14.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 A$130

$108 COP 350.3K

-15.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 A$1,231

$477 COP 1.5M

80.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 A$904

$376 COP 1.2M

67.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,055 A$2,943

$845 COP 2.7M

143.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 A$1,918

$730 COP 2.4M

83.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,630 A$6,629

$3,215 COP 10.5M

44.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,407 A$4,877

$1,372 COP 4.5M

148.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,172 A$4,542

$617 COP 2.0M

414.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.07

13.43

-54.80%

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

Last update for Ballarat: July 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $860 in Ballarat and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballarat pays 414% 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: $64.0 in Ballarat vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 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

Ballarat vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 63% lower than in Ballarat. 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 414% higher in Ballarat, 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: $860 in Ballarat versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $321 in Ballarat 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 68% higher in Ballarat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,676 in Ballarat, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ballarat. 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 $1,031 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ballarat 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 63% less than in Ballarat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.