Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Albury

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,246 in Albury, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Albury
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Albury Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Albury

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,246

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Albury

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Albury actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Medellin versus $2,246 in Albury.

Medellin $1,614
Albury $2,246

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,402 in Medellin versus $3,352 in Albury.

Medellin $2,402
Albury $3,352

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Medellin versus $4,458 in Albury.

Medellin $3,190
Albury $4,458

Living in Medellin costs roughly 28% less than in Albury, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Albury 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.3K

$20.83 A$29.84

-61.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 147.1K

$88.2 A$126

-47.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.3K

$10.52 A$15.07

-9.70%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,920

$4.13 A$5.92

-24.70%

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

$1.83 COP 5,832

$3.05 A$4.37

-40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,384

$2.49 A$3.57

-44.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,725

$7.05 A$10.10

-56.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.5K

$7.02 A$10.06

-21.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,625

$1.53 A$2.19

-5.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,537

$3.19 A$4.57

-26.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,358

$2.52 A$3.61

-33.33%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,127

$5.16 A$7.39

-44.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.5K

$8.59 A$12.31

18.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.4K

$9.73 A$13.94

-2.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.8K

$12.75 A$18.26

10.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 13.0K

$3.28 A$4.70

24.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,768

$3.18 A$4.55

-52.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,929

$3.41 A$4.88

-36.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,350

$5.28 A$7.57

-56.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,147

$3.05 A$4.37

-36.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,224

$2.12 A$3.03

-22.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,590

$2.27 A$3.25

-50.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,976

$1.38 A$1.98

-9.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.7K

$27.71 A$39.70

-85.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.6K

$13.68 A$19.60

-2.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,413

$4.27 A$6.12

-60.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,566

$5.39 A$7.71

-56.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,848

$3.86 A$5.52

-68.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 243.9K

$71.5 A$102

6.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,202

$3.44 A$4.92

-61.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,811

$1.60 A$2.30

33.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 27.0K

$41.17 A$59.0

-79.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,137

$1.30 A$1.86

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

$28.0K COP 89.2M

$26.6K A$38.1K

5.35%

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

$35.4K COP 112.9M

$27.9K A$39.9K

27.14%

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

$172 COP 548.6K

$184 A$263

-6.27%

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

$13.37 COP 42.6K

$26.90 A$38.53

-50.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.6K

$55.0 A$78.8

-47.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 144.2K

$138 A$197

-67.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.3K

$22.37 A$32.05

-23.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 20.0K

$12.91 A$18.49

-51.36%

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

$770 COP 2.5M

$2,164 A$3,100

-64.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.7M

$20.5K A$29.4K

-56.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 275.5K

$62.7 A$89.8

37.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 182.1K

$42.39 A$60.7

34.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 435.3K

$97.0 A$139

40.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 312.1K

$107 A$154

-8.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.4M

$1,102 A$1,579

-4.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$895 A$1,282

-31.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$1,898 A$2,719

-0.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.3M

$1,388 A$1,989

-26.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$4,706 A$6,742

-86.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.95

83.87%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Albury: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Albury

$895 39.9% 45.4% $279

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Albury

$365 16.2% 23.7% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Albury

$266 11.8% 24% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Albury

$139 6.2% 18.2% $31

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Albury

$319 14.2% 89.6% $151

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Albury

$98 4.4% 5.5% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Albury

$164 7.3% 183% $106

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Medellin and $1,102 in Albury. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Albury pays 621% 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: $46.00 in Medellin vs $88.0 in Albury for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $365 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇦🇺 Albury

🕒 Local time

13:12 1:12 PM

05:12 5:12 AM

16 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

5,323

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 3,188 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,559 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Albury 14,570 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Albury

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

Medellin vs Albury: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Albury. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 621% lower in Albury. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,055 in Medellin versus $1,102 in Albury. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Albury. 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 $46.00 versus $88.0 in Albury. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,614 in Medellin versus $2,246 in Albury, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Albury. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,614 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Albury 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 39% less than in Albury. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.