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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,298 per month in Cairns vs $1,031 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,379 per month in Cairns vs $1,599 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,460 per month in Cairns vs $2,167 in Medellin, rent included.

Cairns costs about 123% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Cairns sits 72% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 A$16.71

$6.16 COP 20.0K

89.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.5 A$115

$32.60 COP 106.0K

146.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.67 A$15.28

$7.34 COP 23.9K

45.37%

Cappuccino

$3.88 A$5.55

$1.72 COP 5,592

125.58%

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

$2.88 A$4.12

$1.05 COP 3,416

174.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.22

$0.77 COP 2,511

192.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.38 A$9.14

$1.69 COP 5,480

277.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.30 A$10.45

$3.17 COP 10.3K

130.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 A$2.35

$1.05 COP 3,418

56.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 A$3.43

$1.30 COP 4,230

84.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.97

$1.40 COP 4,538

97.86%

Eggs

$4.09 A$5.85

$2.16 COP 7,037

89.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.03 A$11.50

$4.39 COP 14.3K

82.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$13.05

$5.88 COP 19.1K

55.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.54 A$17.95

$8.64 COP 28.1K

45.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 A$4.22

$2.28 COP 7,415

28.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 A$3.26

$1.11 COP 3,599

105.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.81

$1.53 COP 4,976

73.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.05 A$10.09

$1.35 COP 4,405

422.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 A$3.17

$1.13 COP 3,669

95.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 A$3.20

$1.13 COP 3,687

98.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 A$3.26

$0.85 COP 2,749

168.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 A$4.13

$0.91 COP 2,971

217.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.51 A$42.26

$2.34 COP 7,619

1161.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.88 A$18.45

$12.37 COP 40.2K

4.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 A$4.63

$1.20 COP 3,904

169.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 A$5.18

$2.49 COP 8,094

45.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 A$4.71

$0.84 COP 2,724

291.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.4 A$93.6

$40.57 COP 131.9K

61.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 A$9.50

$1.42 COP 4,617

366.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.13 A$4.47

$1.92 COP 6,227

63.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.87 A$48.49

$7.66 COP 24.9K

342.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 A$1.57

$0.99 COP 3,219

11.11%

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

$22.6K A$32.3K

$18.0K COP 58.6M

25.26%

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

$19.6K A$28.1K

$26.6K COP 86.6M

-26.26%

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

$153 A$218

$80.8 COP 262.7K

88.73%

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

$37.28 A$53.4

$9.95 COP 32.3K

274.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.5 A$86.6

$24.18 COP 78.6K

150.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.42 A$55.0

$25.08 COP 81.5K

53.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.78 A$22.59

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-17.60%

Cinema Ticket

$13.13 A$18.80

$3.98 COP 13.0K

229.90%

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

$1,636 A$2,342

$305 COP 992.2K

436.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K A$17.2K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

98.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.4 A$122

$58.1 COP 189.0K

46.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.8 A$95.7

$32.20 COP 104.7K

107.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 A$142

$101 COP 327.5K

-1.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 A$193

$108 COP 350.3K

25.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 A$1,768

$477 COP 1.5M

159.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,092 A$1,563

$376 COP 1.2M

190.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,041 A$2,922

$845 COP 2.7M

141.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,870 A$2,677

$730 COP 2.4M

155.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,338 A$9,074

$3,215 COP 10.5M

97.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,904 A$7,021

$1,372 COP 4.5M

257.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,324 A$6,191

$617 COP 2.0M

601.05%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,235 in Cairns versus $477 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 601% 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: $353 vs $193 – 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 123% 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 $3,447 per month in Cairns and $1,546 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 83% 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 $1,031, than in Cairns at $2,298. 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 $1,031 versus $2,298 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.