Cost of Living Comparison Between Grafton and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Grafton and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,107 in Grafton versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,143 in Grafton versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,179 in Grafton versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Grafton is roughly 107% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Grafton is 57% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.13 A$22.79

$5.95 COP 20.8K

171.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 A$101

$33.33 COP 116.3K

113.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 A$13.61

$7.23 COP 25.2K

33.20%

Cappuccino

$3.14 A$4.43

$1.63 COP 5,687

92.64%

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

$2.59 A$3.65

$1.09 COP 3,821

137.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.12

$0.73 COP 2,548

202.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.41 A$9.06

$1.74 COP 6,065

268.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.90 A$11.17

$3.23 COP 11.3K

144.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 A$1.51

$1.05 COP 3,662

1.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 A$3.14

$1.29 COP 4,515

72.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 A$2.66

$1.32 COP 4,617

42.42%

Eggs

$3.33 A$4.71

$2.27 COP 7,927

46.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.98 A$11.27

$4.35 COP 15.2K

83.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.20 A$10.18

$5.88 COP 20.5K

22.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.60 A$19.21

$8.61 COP 30.0K

57.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.53 A$3.58

$2.25 COP 7,844

12.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 A$1.87

$1.07 COP 3,733

23.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.88

$1.52 COP 5,322

80.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 A$6.17

$1.42 COP 4,964

207.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 A$2.73

$1.17 COP 4,084

64.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 A$2.99

$1.17 COP 4,077

81.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 A$2.34

$0.89 COP 3,096

86.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 A$1.42

$0.90 COP 3,146

11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.51 A$40.29

$2.25 COP 7,837

1167.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.91 A$18.25

$11.04 COP 38.5K

16.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.57 A$6.45

$1.14 COP 3,977

300.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 A$5.98

$2.38 COP 8,301

77.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 A$3.77

$0.84 COP 2,916

217.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.7 A$92.9

$41.95 COP 146.4K

56.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 A$3.18

$1.41 COP 4,912

59.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 A$2.17

$1.90 COP 6,634

-18.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.09 A$46.75

$7.75 COP 27.0K

326.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 A$1.65

$1.01 COP 3,509

15.84%

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

$28.4K A$40.1K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

61.54%

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

$22.2K A$31.4K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-16.17%

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

$147 A$208

$83.7 COP 292.1K

75.85%

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

$25.52 A$36.06

$9.45 COP 33.0K

170.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.15 A$65.2

$24.11 COP 84.1K

91.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.30 A$68.2

$25.31 COP 88.3K

90.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.80 A$22.32

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-17.45%

Cinema Ticket

$10.92 A$15.43

$4.10 COP 14.3K

166.34%

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

$642 A$908

$312 COP 1.1M

105.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,876 A$4,063

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-52.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.2 A$99.3

$58.0 COP 202.6K

21.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 A$62.8

$32.56 COP 113.6K

36.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 A$133

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-5.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 A$145

$109 COP 378.8K

-5.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 A$1,785

$482 COP 1.7M

161.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,077 A$1,522

$379 COP 1.3M

183.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,032 A$2,871

$837 COP 2.9M

142.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 A$2,356

$723 COP 2.5M

130.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,946 A$9,814

$2,840 COP 9.9M

144.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,967 A$8,431

$1,223 COP 4.3M

387.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,478 A$3,501

$541 COP 1.9M

358.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

13.43

-53.54%

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

Last update for Grafton: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,263 in Grafton and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grafton pays 358% 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: $71.0 in Grafton vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $190 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

Grafton vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grafton and Medellin differ by about 107% in total monthly costs ($2,107 vs $1,017 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Grafton pays 358% more on average, 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: $1,263 in Grafton versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Grafton. 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 $71.0 in Grafton. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $2,107 in Grafton, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Grafton. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Grafton 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 107% less than in Grafton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.