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: $2,607 in Broken Hill versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,702 in Broken Hill versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,797 in Broken Hill versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Broken Hill is roughly 55% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Broken Hill 91% above, Medellin 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.82 A$24.96

$8.02 COP 24.9K

122.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.2 A$115

$47.87 COP 148.7K

71.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.11 A$15.56

$9.89 COP 30.7K

12.34%

Cappuccino

$4.64 A$6.50

$3.13 COP 9,725

48.24%

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

$2.93 A$4.10

$1.91 COP 5,929

53.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.50

$1.51 COP 4,692

65.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.21 A$10.09

$3.12 COP 9,705

131.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.31 A$11.64

$5.75 COP 17.9K

44.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.17

$1.44 COP 4,490

7.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 A$3.95

$2.49 COP 7,726

13.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 A$3.64

$1.77 COP 5,511

46.89%

Eggs

$4.66 A$6.53

$2.96 COP 9,196

57.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.77 A$12.28

$10.07 COP 31.3K

-12.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.36 A$11.71

$10.12 COP 31.4K

-17.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.61 A$21.87

$14.30 COP 44.4K

9.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.24 A$5.94

$4.14 COP 12.9K

2.42%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 A$4.21

$1.61 COP 4,997

86.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.51

$2.25 COP 6,977

43.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 A$5.81

$2.25 COP 6,998

84.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.23

$2.04 COP 6,348

48.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 A$3.62

$1.54 COP 4,770

67.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 A$3.81

$1.17 COP 3,636

132.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 A$2.44

$1.31 COP 4,060

32.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.23 A$53.5

$3.90 COP 12.1K

880.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.01 A$18.22

$14.01 COP 43.5K

-7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.46 A$7.64

$1.74 COP 5,416

213.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 A$7.39

$2.87 COP 8,918

83.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.09 A$4.32

$1.22 COP 3,776

153.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.0 A$116

$80.5 COP 250.1K

3.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 A$5.38

$1.31 COP 4,067

193.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.45

$2.19 COP 6,796

-20.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.71 A$51.4

$8.71 COP 27.1K

321.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.89

$1.37 COP 4,241

-1.46%

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

$30.4K A$42.5K

$27.8K COP 86.5M

9.11%

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

$27.3K A$38.3K

$35.8K COP 111.2M

-23.60%

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

$211 A$296

$177 COP 550.9K

19.12%

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

$31.00 A$43.42

$13.88 COP 43.1K

123.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.0 A$85.4

$29.72 COP 92.4K

105.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 A$79.6

$44.88 COP 139.5K

26.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.31 A$27.04

$17.12 COP 53.2K

12.79%

Cinema Ticket

$14.42 A$20.20

$6.65 COP 20.6K

116.84%

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

$1,941 A$2,718

$813 COP 2.5M

138.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K A$30.6K

$9,187 COP 28.5M

138.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.6 A$116

$89.5 COP 278.1K

-7.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.3 A$84.5

$59.0 COP 183.2K

2.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 A$167

$138 COP 429.4K

-13.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 A$159

$102 COP 317.3K

11.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 A$1,711

$1,062 COP 3.3M

15.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 A$1,587

$663 COP 2.1M

70.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,562 A$3,588

$1,888 COP 5.9M

35.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 A$2,706

$1,027 COP 3.2M

88.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,023 A$8,436

$4,183 COP 13.0M

43.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,716 A$8,006

$1,675 COP 5.2M

241.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.87

10.94

-46.34%

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

Last update for Broken Hill: September 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,222 in Broken Hill and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82.0 in Broken Hill vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $370 vs $305 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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,911 in Broken Hill and $2,521 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: $1,222 in Broken Hill versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,941 in Broken Hill versus $813 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Broken Hill. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,681 in Medellin versus $2,607 in Broken Hill, a $2,500 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 55% less than in Broken Hill. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.