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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,314 per month in Karratha vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,444 per month in Karratha vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,574 per month in Karratha vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

Karratha costs about 128% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Karratha sits 72% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.55 A$39.21

$5.95 COP 21.2K

363.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 A$112

$33.33 COP 118.9K

136.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.09 A$12.94

$7.23 COP 25.8K

25.73%

Cappuccino

$3.67 A$5.22

$1.63 COP 5,811

125.15%

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

$3.05 A$4.34

$1.09 COP 3,904

179.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 A$3.19

$0.73 COP 2,604

206.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 A$9.17

$1.74 COP 6,197

270.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 A$9.89

$3.23 COP 11.5K

115.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.10

$1.05 COP 3,742

40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 A$3.42

$1.29 COP 4,614

86.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.87

$1.32 COP 4,718

53.03%

Eggs

$4.28 A$6.09

$2.27 COP 8,101

88.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.30 A$11.81

$4.35 COP 15.5K

90.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.63 A$12.28

$5.88 COP 21.0K

46.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.93 A$19.83

$8.61 COP 30.7K

61.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.52

$2.25 COP 8,015

41.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.91

$1.07 COP 3,814

156.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 A$4.09

$1.52 COP 5,438

88.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 A$5.93

$1.42 COP 5,073

193.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.44

$1.17 COP 4,173

106.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 A$3.02

$1.17 COP 4,166

81.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.11

$0.89 COP 3,163

146.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 A$2.23

$0.90 COP 3,215

74.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.34 A$43.19

$2.25 COP 8,008

1248.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.46 A$19.16

$11.04 COP 39.4K

21.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.49 A$6.39

$1.14 COP 4,063

293.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.20 A$7.41

$2.38 COP 8,483

118.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 A$3.63

$0.84 COP 2,979

203.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.9 A$91.0

$41.95 COP 149.6K

52.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 A$5.20

$1.41 COP 5,019

158.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 A$2.19

$1.90 COP 6,779

-18.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.31 A$47.42

$7.75 COP 27.6K

329.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.63

$1.01 COP 3,586

13.86%

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

$29.1K A$41.4K

$17.6K COP 62.7M

65.45%

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

$22.4K A$31.9K

$26.5K COP 94.5M

-15.47%

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

$184 A$262

$83.7 COP 298.4K

119.72%

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

$27.88 A$39.68

$9.45 COP 33.7K

195.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 A$74.0

$24.11 COP 86.0K

115.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.94 A$69.7

$25.31 COP 90.3K

93.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.45 A$21.99

$19.14 COP 68.3K

-19.28%

Cinema Ticket

$12.78 A$18.19

$4.10 COP 14.6K

211.71%

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

$1,641 A$2,335

$312 COP 1.1M

425.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K A$17.2K

$5,993 COP 21.4M

101.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 A$96.5

$58.0 COP 207.0K

16.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 A$72.0

$32.56 COP 116.1K

55.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$144

$99.6 COP 355.3K

1.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 A$151

$109 COP 387.1K

-2.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,270 A$1,807

$482 COP 1.7M

163.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 A$1,497

$379 COP 1.4M

177.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 A$2,864

$837 COP 3.0M

140.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 A$2,361

$723 COP 2.6M

129.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,267 A$8,921

$2,840 COP 10.1M

120.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,417 A$7,711

$1,223 COP 4.4M

342.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,270 in Karratha versus $482 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: $337 vs $190 – 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: $2,314 in Karratha, $1,017 in Medellin – roughly 128% apart. Karratha costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,471 per month in Karratha and $1,525 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 $2,314 in Karratha and $1,017 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 52% 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 $1,017, than in Karratha at $2,314. 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 $1,017 in Medellin to $2,314 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.