Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlton and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,328 in Carlton, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Carlton
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Carlton Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Carlton

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,328

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,328 in Carlton versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Carlton $2,328
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,353 in Carlton versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Carlton $3,353
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,379 in Carlton versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Carlton $4,379
Medellin $3,186

Living in Carlton is roughly 42% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Carlton 71% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 A$24.65

$8.09 COP 26.1K

114.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 A$98.3

$47.05 COP 151.9K

46.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.28 A$14.62

$9.50 COP 30.7K

8.21%

Cappuccino

$3.03 A$4.31

$3.01 COP 9,735

0.66%

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

$2.70 A$3.84

$1.80 COP 5,809

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 A$2.91

$1.41 COP 4,561

45.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.69 A$9.51

$3.18 COP 10.3K

110.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 A$9.39

$5.75 COP 18.6K

14.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.85

$1.51 COP 4,876

-13.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 A$2.96

$2.38 COP 7,678

-12.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 A$1.98

$1.77 COP 5,720

-21.47%

Eggs

$3.41 A$4.84

$2.89 COP 9,333

17.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 A$14.79

$10.19 COP 32.9K

2.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.96 A$14.17

$9.87 COP 31.9K

0.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.94 A$21.25

$13.99 COP 45.2K

6.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 A$4.71

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-16.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 A$3.93

$1.55 COP 5,012

78.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 A$4.66

$2.18 COP 7,048

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 A$6.79

$2.18 COP 7,051

118.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.42

$1.96 COP 6,337

22.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.09

$1.59 COP 5,132

36.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 A$3.20

$1.15 COP 3,699

95.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 A$1.28

$1.24 COP 4,014

-27.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.30 A$35.98

$3.96 COP 12.8K

538.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.61 A$15.09

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-22.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.57 A$7.92

$1.66 COP 5,359

235.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 A$7.51

$2.26 COP 7,291

133.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 A$4.38

$1.17 COP 3,771

163.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.7 A$118

$77.4 COP 249.8K

6.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 A$5.22

$1.27 COP 4,094

188.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 A$1.76

$2.05 COP 6,612

-39.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.46 A$37.64

$8.55 COP 27.6K

209.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 A$1.84

$1.35 COP 4,349

-4.44%

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

$18.2K A$25.9K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-46.47%

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

$14.0K A$20.0K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-59.49%

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

$93.2 A$133

$170 COP 547.8K

-45.08%

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

$28.34 A$40.30

$13.55 COP 43.8K

109.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.79 A$66.6

$28.07 COP 90.6K

66.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.85 A$45.30

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-27.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.90 A$25.46

$17.19 COP 55.5K

4.13%

Cinema Ticket

$13.46 A$19.14

$6.91 COP 22.3K

94.79%

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

$2,108 A$2,998

$797 COP 2.6M

164.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K A$17.6K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

36.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$114

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-5.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 A$72.5

$58.0 COP 187.2K

-12.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 A$99.1

$135 COP 435.8K

-48.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$187

$97.9 COP 316.0K

34.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,005

$1,208 COP 3.9M

16.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 A$1,756

$642 COP 2.1M

92.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,220 A$3,158

$2,028 COP 6.5M

9.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 A$2,612

$1,012 COP 3.3M

81.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,665 A$8,057

$4,170 COP 13.5M

35.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,619 A$6,569

$1,910 COP 6.2M

141.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,904 A$8,398

$657 COP 2.1M

798.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

10.94

-46.07%

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

Last update for Carlton: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Carlton

$1.2K 53.1%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 48% $593

Groceries & Markets

Carlton

$340 14.6%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 12.6% $43

Eating Out

Carlton

$272 11.7%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 37.5% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carlton

$168 7.2%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 25.5% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Carlton

$150 6.4%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 13% $19

Getting Around

Carlton

$105 4.5%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 10.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Carlton

$59 2.5%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 2.1% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,409 in Carlton and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays about 9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $69 in Carlton vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $297 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Carlton

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

15:13 3:13 PM

23:13 11:13 PM

16 h behind Carlton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,001

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Carlton Medellin 14,630 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Carlton
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

Carlton vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,328 in Carlton and $1,639 in Medellin, so Medellin is about 30% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Carlton is about 9 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,409 in Carlton versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,108 in Carlton versus $797 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Carlton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Carlton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.