Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Armidale

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $1,721 in Armidale, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Armidale despite lower rent and utilities.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Armidale
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Armidale Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Armidale

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,721

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Armidale

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 Armidale actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $1,721 in Armidale.

Medellin $1,625
Armidale $1,721

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $2,650 in Armidale.

Medellin $2,412
Armidale $2,650

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $3,579 in Armidale.

Medellin $3,199
Armidale $3,579

Living in Medellin costs roughly 6% less than in Armidale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Armidale 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$17.26 A$24.84

-51.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$84.1 A$121

-44.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$10.35 A$14.90

-10.72%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$3.88 A$5.58

-21.39%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$2.83 A$4.07

-36.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$2.26 A$3.25

-38.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$7.73 A$11.12

-58.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$7.62 A$10.97

-27.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.28 A$1.84

17.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.25 A$1.80

89.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.55 A$2.23

9.68%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$4.07 A$5.86

-27.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$9.35 A$13.45

9.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$9.04 A$13.01

7.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$14.47 A$20.83

-3.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$2.81 A$4.05

46.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$2.88 A$4.14

-46.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$2.54 A$3.66

-12.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$3.07 A$4.41

-26.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.71 A$2.46

16.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$2.42 A$3.48

-30.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$2.40 A$3.46

-50.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$1.56 A$2.24

-20.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$41.12 A$59.2

-90.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$13.70 A$19.72

0.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$4.64 A$6.68

-64.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$5.30 A$7.63

-54.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$2.94 A$4.23

-57.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$80.3 A$116

-2.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$3.41 A$4.91

-62.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$1.57 A$2.26

36.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$39.83 A$57.3

-78.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.31 A$1.89

3.05%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$26.4K A$38.0K

31.73%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$29.7K A$42.8K

16.63%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$114 A$163

46.83%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$27.88 A$40.12

-51.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$56.6 A$81.4

-48.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$41.99 A$60.4

7.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$17.51 A$25.20

-1.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$14.79 A$21.29

-52.87%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$2,142 A$3,082

-63.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$20.5K A$29.5K

-55.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$76.4 A$110

14.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$53.2 A$76.5

9.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$105 A$151

32.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$122 A$176

-19.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$1,366 A$1,966

-24.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$577 A$830

7.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$2,164 A$3,114

-13.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$900 A$1,295

11.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$5,815 A$8,367

-31.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$4,850 A$6,979

-64.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$2,800 A$4,030

-76.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.84

87.33%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Armidale: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Armidale

$577 33.5% 6.9% $43

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Armidale

$321 18.6% 7.7% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Armidale

$198 11.5% 5.5% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Armidale

$161 9.3% 7% $12

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Armidale

$290 16.9% 69.8% $119

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Armidale

$103 6% 8.6% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Armidale

$72 4.2% 21.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $1,366 in Armidale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Armidale pays 322% 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: $47.00 in Medellin vs $84.0 in Armidale for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $321 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇦🇺 Armidale

🕒 Local time

12:45 12:45 PM

04:45 4:45 AM

16 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

21,312

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Armidale 14,400 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Armidale

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 Armidale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 322% lower in Armidale. 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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,366 in Armidale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,625 per month in Medellin versus $1,721 in Armidale – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 3% less than in Armidale. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,625 in Medellin versus $1,721 in Armidale, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Armidale. 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 Armidale, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Armidale 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 6% less than in Armidale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.