Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairns and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairns and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,317 per month in Cairns vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,472 per month in Cairns vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,627 per month in Cairns vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Cairns costs about 129% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Cairns sits 73% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.59 A$16.15

$5.99 COP 21.4K

93.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 A$113

$32.86 COP 117.4K

147.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 A$15.16

$7.09 COP 25.3K

53.46%

Cappuccino

$3.75 A$5.23

$1.71 COP 6,115

119.30%

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

$2.84 A$3.96

$1.10 COP 3,924

158.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 A$3.21

$0.78 COP 2,781

194.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.43 A$8.96

$1.68 COP 5,997

282.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 A$9.70

$3.07 COP 11.0K

126.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 A$2.42

$1.09 COP 3,906

59.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 A$3.40

$1.26 COP 4,508

93.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.74

$1.38 COP 4,922

94.20%

Eggs

$4.00 A$5.58

$2.19 COP 7,827

82.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.18 A$11.40

$4.40 COP 15.7K

85.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 A$12.90

$5.63 COP 20.1K

64.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.76 A$17.78

$8.89 COP 31.8K

43.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.15

$2.34 COP 8,349

27.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.10

$1.06 COP 3,777

110.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.83

$1.50 COP 5,374

83.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.39 A$10.30

$1.38 COP 4,924

435.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.11

$1.15 COP 4,111

93.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 A$3.25

$1.16 COP 4,155

100.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 A$3.16

$0.89 COP 3,182

155.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 A$3.99

$0.84 COP 2,997

240.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.71 A$40.01

$2.28 COP 8,145

1159.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.50 A$16.02

$10.64 COP 38.0K

8.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 A$4.74

$1.20 COP 4,284

183.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 A$4.86

$2.47 COP 8,824

41.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.27 A$4.56

$0.86 COP 3,056

280.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.9 A$90.5

$41.40 COP 147.9K

56.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.64 A$9.26

$1.47 COP 5,264

351.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.19 A$4.44

$1.96 COP 7,009

62.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.95 A$47.31

$7.74 COP 27.6K

338.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 A$1.53

$0.95 COP 3,409

15.79%

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

$22.8K A$31.8K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

25.75%

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

$19.1K A$26.7K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-27.72%

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

$149 A$207

$82.3 COP 293.7K

80.92%

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

$37.35 A$52.1

$9.50 COP 33.9K

293.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 A$81.6

$24.23 COP 86.5K

141.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.65 A$53.9

$25.89 COP 92.4K

49.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.95 A$22.23

$19.00 COP 67.9K

-16.05%

Cinema Ticket

$13.24 A$18.45

$3.93 COP 14.0K

236.90%

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

$1,636 A$2,280

$309 COP 1.1M

428.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K A$16.6K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

99.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.6 A$116

$58.7 COP 209.5K

42.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.6 A$92.8

$32.35 COP 115.5K

105.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$141

$103 COP 366.4K

-1.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 A$194

$108 COP 387.2K

28.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 A$1,714

$476 COP 1.7M

158.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,111 A$1,548

$379 COP 1.4M

193.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,987 A$2,769

$838 COP 3.0M

137.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,866 A$2,601

$724 COP 2.6M

157.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,707 A$9,347

$2,791 COP 10.0M

140.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,132 A$7,151

$1,211 COP 4.3M

323.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,549 A$6,338

$512 COP 1.8M

788.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.96

13.43

-48.18%

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

Last update for Cairns: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,230 in Cairns versus $476 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 789% higher in Cairns, 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 $81.0 in Cairns versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $188 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Cairns vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cairns costs about 129% more than Medellin, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,476 per month in Cairns and $1,519 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 89% more in Cairns, 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 $81.0 in Cairns and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,013, than in Cairns at $2,317. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cairns it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,013 versus $2,317 in Cairns. 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, Cairns makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.