Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,518 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,518

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,518 per month in Brisbane vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Brisbane $2,518
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $3,720 per month in Brisbane vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Brisbane $3,720
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $4,922 per month in Brisbane vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Brisbane $4,922
Medellin $3,199

Brisbane costs about 55% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brisbane and Medellin sit above the global median – Brisbane by 86%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.39 A$25.02

$8.30 COP 26.3K

109.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 A$102

$46.91 COP 148.7K

51.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 A$15.95

$9.24 COP 29.3K

20.02%

Cappuccino

$4.43 A$6.38

$3.05 COP 9,676

45.25%

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

$2.90 A$4.17

$1.80 COP 5,707

61.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.49

$1.38 COP 4,382

76.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.42 A$12.12

$3.24 COP 10.3K

159.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.31 A$11.96

$5.56 COP 17.6K

49.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 A$2.40

$1.50 COP 4,760

11.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 A$3.92

$2.37 COP 7,508

14.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 A$3.29

$1.70 COP 5,377

34.71%

Eggs

$4.82 A$6.94

$2.96 COP 9,379

62.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 A$13.03

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-11.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 A$13.21

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-5.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.21 A$20.45

$13.90 COP 44.1K

2.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.20

$4.13 COP 13.1K

4.36%

Banana (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.38

$1.53 COP 4,839

98.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.32

$2.22 COP 7,052

35.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 A$6.84

$2.27 COP 7,194

109.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.92

$1.99 COP 6,311

36.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.37

$1.67 COP 5,285

40.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 A$3.48

$1.18 COP 3,742

105.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.71

$1.24 COP 3,919

-4.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.67 A$55.7

$3.87 COP 12.3K

899.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.66 A$18.21

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-8.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.40 A$7.77

$1.66 COP 5,256

225.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 A$7.38

$2.40 COP 7,615

113.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 A$0.53

$1.24 COP 3,944

-70.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.72 A$29.81

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-73.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 A$4.20

$1.28 COP 4,044

128.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 A$2.68

$2.15 COP 6,803

-13.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.05 A$59.1

$8.37 COP 26.5K

390.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.35 COP 4,288

3.70%

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

$29.7K A$42.8K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-14.43%

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

$26.0K A$37.4K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-25.13%

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

$159 A$229

$167 COP 528.4K

-4.52%

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

$26.52 A$38.16

$13.62 COP 43.2K

94.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 A$87.2

$29.12 COP 92.3K

108.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.9 A$87.6

$45.09 COP 143.0K

34.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.22 A$31.97

$17.18 COP 54.5K

29.34%

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 A$20.34

$6.97 COP 22.1K

102.87%

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

$1,952 A$2,808

$790 COP 2.5M

147.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.3K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

40.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.3 A$120

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-5.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.69 A$62.9

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-24.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$163

$139 COP 440.7K

-18.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$160

$98.9 COP 313.5K

12.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,939 A$2,790

$1,028 COP 3.3M

88.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 A$1,902

$620 COP 2.0M

113.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,408 A$4,904

$1,881 COP 6.0M

81.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,242 A$3,226

$1,008 COP 3.2M

122.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,271 A$11.9K

$3,988 COP 12.6M

107.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,920 A$8,518

$1,702 COP 5.4M

247.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,183 A$6,020

$663 COP 2.1M

530.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

10.94

-46.89%

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

Last update for Brisbane: 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

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.5%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 53.1% $702

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$363 14.4%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 17.9% $65

Eating Out

Brisbane

$306 12.1%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 44.1% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$246 9.8%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 15% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6.3%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 9.3% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.5%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 33.8% $30

Getting Around

Brisbane

$34 1.4%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 177% $61

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,939 in Brisbane versus $1,028 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 run about 531% higher in Brisbane, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Brisbane versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $298 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

12:30 12:30 PM

21:30 9:30 PM

15 h behind Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

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 21, 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 21, 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

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Brisbane Medellin 14,380 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
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

Brisbane vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 55% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,777 per month in Brisbane and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Brisbane, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Brisbane and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Brisbane at $2,518. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,625 versus $2,518 in Brisbane. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brisbane makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.