Cost of Living Comparison Between Darwin and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Darwin and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,658 in Darwin versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,904 in Darwin versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,150 in Darwin versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Darwin is roughly 158% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Darwin is 99% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.63 A$25.24

$6.16 COP 20.0K

186.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 A$117

$32.60 COP 106.0K

150.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.31 A$17.63

$7.34 COP 23.9K

67.71%

Cappuccino

$3.44 A$4.93

$1.72 COP 5,592

100.00%

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

$2.67 A$3.82

$1.05 COP 3,416

154.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 A$4.52

$0.77 COP 2,511

310.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 A$9.49

$1.69 COP 5,480

292.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.63 A$10.93

$3.17 COP 10.3K

140.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.70

$1.05 COP 3,418

13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 A$3.89

$1.30 COP 4,230

108.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 A$3.04

$1.40 COP 4,538

52.14%

Eggs

$3.99 A$5.71

$2.16 COP 7,037

84.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.00 A$14.31

$4.39 COP 14.3K

127.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.14 A$11.65

$5.88 COP 19.1K

38.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.24 A$11.79

$8.64 COP 28.1K

-4.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 A$5.34

$2.28 COP 7,415

63.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 A$4.04

$1.11 COP 3,599

154.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.53 A$5.05

$1.53 COP 4,976

130.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 A$6.23

$1.35 COP 4,405

222.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.16 A$4.53

$1.13 COP 3,669

179.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.10

$1.13 COP 3,687

92.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.14

$0.85 COP 2,749

157.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 A$3.47

$0.91 COP 2,971

165.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.00 A$35.79

$2.34 COP 7,619

968.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.63 A$16.66

$12.37 COP 40.2K

-5.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$9.52 A$13.62

$1.20 COP 3,904

693.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 A$9.98

$2.49 COP 8,094

179.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 A$3.19

$0.84 COP 2,724

165.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.01 A$64.4

$40.57 COP 131.9K

10.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.96

$1.42 COP 4,617

143.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 A$1.68

$1.92 COP 6,227

-38.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.83 A$65.6

$7.66 COP 24.9K

498.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 A$1.60

$0.99 COP 3,219

13.13%

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

$28.4K A$40.7K

$18.0K COP 58.6M

57.49%

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

$31.9K A$45.6K

$26.6K COP 86.6M

19.72%

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

$234 A$335

$80.8 COP 262.7K

189.68%

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

$34.55 A$49.46

$9.95 COP 32.3K

247.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.0 A$84.5

$24.18 COP 78.6K

143.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.0 A$106

$25.08 COP 81.5K

195.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.73 A$22.52

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-17.86%

Cinema Ticket

$15.89 A$22.76

$3.98 COP 13.0K

299.25%

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

$1,537 A$2,201

$305 COP 992.2K

403.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,811 A$11.2K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

28.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.6 A$111

$58.1 COP 189.0K

33.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.34 A$64.9

$32.20 COP 104.7K

40.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$145

$101 COP 327.5K

0.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$187

$108 COP 350.3K

21.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 A$2,366

$477 COP 1.5M

246.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,315 A$1,883

$376 COP 1.2M

249.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 A$3,882

$845 COP 2.7M

221.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,275 A$3,256

$730 COP 2.4M

211.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,800 A$5,440

$3,215 COP 10.5M

18.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,390 A$4,854

$1,372 COP 4.5M

147.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,224 A$6,047

$617 COP 2.0M

584.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

13.43

-52.35%

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

Last update for Darwin: July 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Darwin and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Darwin pays 585% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $82.0 in Darwin vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $367 vs $193 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

Darwin vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 158% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 585% higher in Darwin, 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: $1,653 in Darwin versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Darwin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $82.0 in Darwin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $2,658 in Darwin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Darwin. 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 Darwin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Darwin 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 158% less than in Darwin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.