Cost of Living Comparison Between Broken Hill and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Broken Hill and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,229 in Broken Hill versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,278 in Broken Hill versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,327 in Broken Hill versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Broken Hill is roughly 116% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Broken Hill is 67% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.30 A$22.82

$5.92 COP 21.4K

175.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.3 A$108

$32.75 COP 118.2K

136.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 A$14.04

$7.20 COP 26.0K

39.31%

Cappuccino

$3.47 A$4.86

$1.70 COP 6,140

104.12%

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

$2.61 A$3.65

$1.10 COP 3,966

137.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 A$2.97

$0.72 COP 2,605

194.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.34 A$8.87

$1.67 COP 6,022

279.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.33 A$10.26

$3.10 COP 11.2K

136.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.02

$1.06 COP 3,809

36.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 A$3.35

$1.25 COP 4,497

91.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 A$2.71

$1.39 COP 5,022

39.57%

Eggs

$4.31 A$6.03

$2.26 COP 8,168

90.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 A$12.20

$4.33 COP 15.6K

101.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.62 A$12.07

$5.84 COP 21.1K

47.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.72 A$19.21

$8.83 COP 31.9K

55.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 A$4.61

$2.24 COP 8,099

46.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.84

$1.08 COP 3,882

154.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 A$4.18

$1.53 COP 5,522

95.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.20 A$5.88

$1.37 COP 4,950

206.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 A$3.53

$1.13 COP 4,078

123.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.03

$1.12 COP 4,036

93.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 A$2.91

$0.85 COP 3,057

144.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 A$2.23

$0.91 COP 3,281

75.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.17 A$43.64

$2.33 COP 8,414

1237.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.85 A$19.39

$11.13 COP 40.2K

24.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.44 A$6.21

$1.19 COP 4,309

273.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 A$7.38

$2.37 COP 8,553

122.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 A$3.56

$0.79 COP 2,838

221.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.3 A$90.1

$41.13 COP 148.5K

56.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$4.88

$1.44 COP 5,184

142.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 A$2.17

$1.91 COP 6,901

-18.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.69 A$47.16

$8.02 COP 28.9K

320.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 A$1.59

$0.94 COP 3,385

20.21%

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

$29.4K A$41.2K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

64.32%

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

$22.6K A$31.6K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

-15.68%

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

$187 A$261

$84.0 COP 303.1K

122.18%

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

$27.56 A$38.59

$9.60 COP 34.7K

187.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.3 A$74.7

$24.16 COP 87.2K

120.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.86 A$68.4

$25.88 COP 93.4K

88.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.60 A$21.84

$19.04 COP 68.7K

-18.07%

Cinema Ticket

$13.05 A$18.27

$3.92 COP 14.1K

232.91%

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

$1,603 A$2,244

$306 COP 1.1M

423.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K A$16.8K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

102.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 A$95.2

$57.9 COP 209.1K

17.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$71.7

$31.82 COP 114.9K

60.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$142

$99.9 COP 360.6K

1.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 A$150

$107 COP 386.8K

0.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 A$1,741

$487 COP 1.8M

155.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 A$1,482

$368 COP 1.3M

187.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 A$2,791

$826 COP 3.0M

141.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 A$2,392

$716 COP 2.6M

138.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,007 A$8,410

$2,925 COP 10.6M

105.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 A$7,178

$1,407 COP 5.1M

264.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

13.43

-52.79%

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

Last update for Broken Hill: April 28, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,244 in Broken Hill and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $77.0 in Broken Hill vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 vs $190 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

Broken Hill vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 116% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,344 in Broken Hill and $1,550 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,244 in Broken Hill versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,603 in Broken Hill versus $306 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 Broken Hill. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $2,229 in Broken Hill, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Broken Hill. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Broken Hill, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Broken Hill 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 116% less than in Broken Hill. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.