Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Collie

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,643 in Collie, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Collie, Australia
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Collie
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,643
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Collie

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $2,643 in Collie, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Collie $2,643

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $3,790 in Collie, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Collie $3,790

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $4,937 in Collie, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Collie $4,937

Medellin is about 38% cheaper than Collie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Collie sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Collie by 94%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Collie
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$20.87 A$29.80
-61.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.8K
$85.7 A$122
-45.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$11.01 A$15.72
-13.71%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,729
$4.39 A$6.27
-31.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,806
$2.86 A$4.08
-37.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,558
$2.26 A$3.23
-37.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.2K
$8.52 A$12.17
-62.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$8.50 A$12.14
-32.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Collie
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,873
$1.69 A$2.41
-10.65%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,673
$3.21 A$4.59
-25.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,716
$2.05 A$2.93
-13.66%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,327
$5.32 A$7.59
-45.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$9.03 A$12.89
12.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$9.51 A$13.57
3.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.1K
$14.21 A$20.29
-1.55%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$4.46 A$6.37
-10.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,009
$3.11 A$4.45
-50.16%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,044
$3.46 A$4.94
-36.99%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,047
$4.90 A$7.00
-55.51%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,333
$2.88 A$4.11
-31.94%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,129
$1.91 A$2.72
-16.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,696
$2.21 A$3.15
-47.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,012
$1.41 A$2.01
-12.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$42.49 A$60.7
-90.68%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$12.51 A$17.87
9.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,356
$4.41 A$6.30
-62.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,286
$3.37 A$4.82
-32.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Collie
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,769
$2.98 A$4.26
-60.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.7K
$90.8 A$130
-14.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,092
$3.66 A$5.23
-65.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,608
$1.45 A$2.08
41.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$40.54 A$57.9
-78.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,346
$1.40 A$2.00
-3.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 109.9M
$30.5K A$43.6K
11.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$27.3K A$39.0K
26.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Collie
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.5K
$203 A$290
-16.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.7K
$32.55 A$46.49
-58.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$64.3 A$91.8
-56.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Collie
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.0K
$64.4 A$92.0
-32.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
$17.30 A$24.71
-0.64%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$17.19 A$24.55
-59.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Collie
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$2,281 A$3,257
-65.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$23.2K A$33.1K
-60.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Collie
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.4K
$76.4 A$109
10.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.0K
$63.3 A$90.4
-8.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.5K
$125 A$179
7.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 315.8K
$163 A$233
-40.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Collie
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$1,417 A$2,023
-14.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$1,238 A$1,769
-48.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$2,230 A$3,184
-9.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$1,791 A$2,557
-43.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
$5,214 A$7,447
-20.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$4,540 A$6,484
-57.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Collie
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
5.96
83.56%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Collie: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Collie
$1.2K 93% $597
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Collie
$367 23.6% $70
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Collie
$300 42% $89
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Collie
$333 96.2% $163
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Collie
$193 14% $24
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Collie
$114 21.5% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Collie
$99 71.7% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,417 in Collie. 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 $47 in Medellin versus $86 in Collie. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $367 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇦🇺 Collie
🕒 Local time
05:10 5:10 AM
18:10 6:10 PM
13 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
7,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,613 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.7 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Collie 16,770 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Collie

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 Collie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Medellin and in Collie compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $2,643 in Collie – Medellin comes out roughly 38% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Medellin compared to Collie?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $3,965 in Collie. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Medellin and Collie?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,417 in Collie.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Medellin and Collie?
Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $2,281 in Collie. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 24% more in Collie, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Collie at $2,643. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Collie it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Medellin or Collie?
Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Where should expats move: Medellin or Collie?
For expats, Medellin is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 38% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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