For one person, living is cheaper in Colombia: $1,319 a month against $2,542 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in Colombia and in Australia
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Colombia and in Australia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $1,319 per month in Colombia vs $2,542 in Australia, rent included.
Colombia $1,319
Australia $2,542
A couple spends around $2,068 per month in Colombia vs $3,717 in Australia, rent included.
Colombia $2,068
Australia $3,717
A family of three spends $2,817 per month in Colombia vs $4,893 in Australia, rent included.
Colombia $2,817
Australia $4,893
📏
The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,646–$3,152) than in Colombia ($797–$1,614), so city choice matters more there.
🌍
The cost of living in Colombia is roughly 48% lower than in Australia on average.
📊
Colombia sits 2% below the global median, while Australia is 88% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Colombia
Australia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.85COP 24.9K
$17.16A$24.69
-54.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.42COP 147.2K
$83.9A$121
-44.68%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.09COP 32.0K
$11.20A$16.12
-9.91%
Cappuccino
$2.62COP 8,309
$3.92A$5.64
-33.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40COP 4,451
$2.83A$4.07
-50.53%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.96COP 3,040
$2.30A$3.31
-58.26%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.54COP 8,052
$7.68A$11.06
-66.93%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.10COP 13.0K
$8.25A$11.87
-50.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Colombia
Australia
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.56COP 4,955
$1.76A$2.53
-11.36%
White Bread(500g)
$2.25COP 7,130
$2.77A$3.99
-18.77%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.67COP 5,309
$2.19A$3.16
-23.74%
Eggs
$3.04COP 9,626
$4.99A$7.18
-39.08%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.62COP 24.1K
$9.94A$14.31
-23.34%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.81COP 27.9K
$9.03A$12.99
-2.44%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.34COP 36.0K
$15.25A$21.94
-25.64%
Apples(1kg)
$3.69COP 11.7K
$3.67A$5.28
0.54%
Banana(1kg)
$1.47COP 4,665
$3.05A$4.39
-51.80%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.84COP 5,826
$3.12A$4.50
-41.03%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.90COP 6,015
$4.56A$6.56
-58.33%
Potato(1kg)
$1.46COP 4,618
$2.81A$4.04
-48.04%
Onion(1kg)
$1.45COP 4,609
$2.39A$3.44
-39.33%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.16COP 3,686
$2.35A$3.39
-50.64%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.12COP 3,562
$1.64A$2.36
-31.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.05COP 12.8K
$38.42A$55.3
-89.46%
Wine(Bottle)
$13.16COP 41.7K
$13.77A$19.82
-4.43%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41COP 4,467
$4.69A$6.75
-69.94%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.65COP 8,398
$5.08A$7.31
-47.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Colombia
Australia
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.12COP 3,553
$2.72A$3.91
-58.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$61.0COP 193.5K
$95.8A$138
-36.32%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.14COP 6,795
$3.54A$5.10
-39.55%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.05COP 6,494
$1.55A$2.23
32.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$8.17COP 25.9K
$40.00A$57.6
-79.57%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.33COP 4,222
$1.30A$1.87
2.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.7KCOP 84.7M
$28.2KA$40.5K
-5.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.9KCOP 110.6M
$28.5KA$40.9K
22.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Colombia
Australia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$133COP 421.3K
$198A$285
-32.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.39COP 42.4K
$28.75A$41.37
-53.43%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.78COP 91.2K
$58.6A$84.4
-50.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Colombia
Australia
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$35.90COP 113.8K
$56.7A$81.6
-36.72%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.09COP 54.2K
$19.08A$27.46
-10.43%
Cinema Ticket
$6.31COP 20.0K
$15.02A$21.62
-57.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Colombia
Australia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$670COP 2.1M
$2,154A$3,099
-68.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$8,281COP 26.3M
$17.9KA$25.8K
-53.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Colombia
Australia
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$75.2COP 238.3K
$78.0A$112
-3.65%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.4COP 169.4K
$54.8A$78.8
-2.46%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$138COP 438.5K
$112A$161
23.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106COP 336.1K
$124A$179
-14.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Colombia
Australia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$695COP 2.2M
$1,540A$2,215
-54.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$429COP 1.4M
$1,222A$1,758
-64.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,246COP 4.0M
$2,478A$3,566
-49.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$835COP 2.6M
$1,930A$2,778
-56.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,463COP 7.8M
$8,153A$11.7K
-69.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,551COP 4.9M
$6,053A$8,711
-74.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Colombia
Australia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$602COP 1.9M
$3,944A$5,676
-84.74%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
12.51
5.93
110.96%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Colombia: October 11, 2026
Last update for Australia: October 13, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Colombia
$429 32.5%
Australia
$1.2K 48.1% ↑ 185%$793
🛒Groceries & Markets
Colombia
$266 20.2%
Australia
$370 14.6% ↑ 39.1%$104
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Colombia
$175 13.3%
Australia
$286 11.2% ↑ 63.2%$111
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Colombia
$168 12.7%
Australia
$166 6.5% ↓ 1%$1.7
🍽Eating Out
Colombia
$155 11.7%
Australia
$293 11.5% ↑ 89.4%$138
🚌Getting Around
Colombia
$78 5.9%
Australia
$118 4.6% ↑ 51.5%$40
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Colombia
$49 3.7%
Australia
$87 3.4% ↑ 78.9%$38
🏠Accommodation & Living
Colombia
$835 29.6%
Australia
$1.9K 39.5% ↑ 131%$1.1K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Colombia
$611 21.7%
Australia
$841 17.2% ↑ 37.7%$230
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Colombia
$188 6.7%
Australia
$314 6.4% ↑ 66.9%$126
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Colombia
$373 13.2%
Australia
$369 7.5% ↓ 1%$3.8
🍽Eating Out
Colombia
$538 19.1%
Australia
$1K 20.5% ↑ 86.7%$466
🚌Getting Around
Colombia
$158 5.6%
Australia
$241 4.9% ↑ 52.8%$83
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Colombia
$114 4.1%
Australia
$193 3.9% ↑ 68.8%$79
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $640 in Colombia vs $1,366 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $803 in Bogota and $1,716 in Canberra.
💰Average salary: $633 in Colombia vs $3,849 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 113% higher in Australia.
⭐Dining out costs 91% more in Australia.
⭐Public transport is 436% more expensive in Australia.
⭐Salaries are 508% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.
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
Colombia vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Australia more expensive than Colombia?
Colombia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 93% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,366 versus $640 in Colombia.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Colombia, adding to the overall 93% price gap.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget in Australia or in Colombia?
$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Colombia, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Australia or to Colombia?
Colombia is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.