Cost of Living Comparison Between Karratha and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Karratha and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,363 per month in Karratha vs $1,018 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,422 per month in Karratha vs $1,609 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,482 per month in Karratha vs $2,200 in Medellin, rent included.

Karratha costs about 132% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Karratha sits 77% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.01 A$40.11

$5.93 COP 19.1K

372.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 A$112

$33.12 COP 106.6K

137.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 A$12.66

$7.12 COP 22.9K

24.16%

Cappuccino

$3.62 A$5.19

$1.71 COP 5,487

111.70%

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

$2.99 A$4.28

$1.05 COP 3,374

184.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.23

$0.72 COP 2,324

212.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.60 A$9.45

$1.72 COP 5,531

283.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 A$9.90

$3.17 COP 10.2K

117.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 A$2.06

$1.06 COP 3,426

35.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 A$3.39

$1.31 COP 4,215

80.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 A$2.82

$1.33 COP 4,279

48.12%

Eggs

$4.43 A$6.34

$2.28 COP 7,338

94.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.66 A$12.40

$4.42 COP 14.2K

95.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 A$12.20

$5.92 COP 19.0K

43.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.45 A$19.26

$8.64 COP 27.8K

55.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 A$4.71

$2.34 COP 7,545

40.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.97

$1.10 COP 3,546

151.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.15

$1.47 COP 4,724

97.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.93

$1.38 COP 4,439

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.45

$1.17 COP 3,774

105.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.11

$1.17 COP 3,765

85.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 A$3.10

$0.90 COP 2,905

141.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 A$2.26

$0.84 COP 2,708

88.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.34 A$44.88

$2.33 COP 7,490

1245.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.40 A$19.18

$11.92 COP 38.3K

12.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.60 A$6.58

$1.15 COP 3,693

300.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 A$7.81

$2.42 COP 7,791

125.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 A$3.64

$0.84 COP 2,702

202.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.7 A$94.1

$40.83 COP 131.4K

61.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 A$5.25

$1.41 COP 4,541

160.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 A$2.28

$1.91 COP 6,160

-16.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.34 A$47.74

$7.83 COP 25.2K

325.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.69

$0.94 COP 3,037

25.53%

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

$28.9K A$41.4K

$17.8K COP 57.3M

62.12%

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

$22.2K A$31.7K

$27.1K COP 87.1M

-18.17%

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

$182 A$261

$83.3 COP 267.9K

118.84%

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

$27.15 A$38.88

$9.66 COP 31.1K

181.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 A$74.2

$24.22 COP 77.9K

113.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.09 A$68.9

$25.22 COP 81.2K

90.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.64 A$22.39

$19.33 COP 62.2K

-19.09%

Cinema Ticket

$12.89 A$18.45

$4.07 COP 13.1K

216.71%

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

$1,629 A$2,332

$307 COP 986.5K

431.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K A$17.0K

$5,981 COP 19.2M

98.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.9 A$98.6

$60.0 COP 192.9K

14.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 A$73.5

$32.65 COP 105.1K

57.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 A$143

$101 COP 325.2K

-1.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$154

$108 COP 347.6K

-0.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,282 A$1,835

$476 COP 1.5M

169.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 A$1,500

$379 COP 1.2M

176.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 A$2,881

$816 COP 2.6M

146.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 A$2,421

$707 COP 2.3M

139.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,518 A$9,334

$3,190 COP 10.3M

104.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,812 A$8,323

$1,446 COP 4.7M

301.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

13.43

-52.79%

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

Last update for Karratha: July 22, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,282 in Karratha versus $476 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Karratha versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $338 vs $192 – 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

Karratha vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,363 in Karratha, $1,018 in Medellin – roughly 132% apart. Karratha costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,544 per month in Karratha and $1,527 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,363 in Karratha and $1,018 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 61% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,018, than in Karratha at $2,363. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Karratha it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,018 in Medellin to $2,363 in Karratha. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Karratha makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.