Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Epping

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,637 in Epping, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Epping, Australia
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Epping
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,637
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Epping

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $2,637 in Epping.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Epping $2,637

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $3,717 in Epping.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Epping $3,717

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $4,798 in Epping.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Epping $4,798

Living in Medellin costs roughly 36% less than in Epping, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 25% above, Epping 95% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Epping
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 26.9K
$12.53 A$17.94
-33.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.2K
$64.3 A$92.1
-27.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.6K
$11.66 A$16.69
-18.78%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$3.12 A$4.47
0.32%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,702
$2.46 A$3.53
-28.05%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,599
$2.55 A$3.65
-44.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$8.16 A$11.68
-61.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.4K
$8.56 A$12.25
-33.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Epping
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,948
$1.52 A$2.18
0.66%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,397
$2.15 A$3.08
6.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,279
$1.87 A$2.68
3.74%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,900
$5.28 A$7.56
-41.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.3K
$10.12 A$14.49
-1.28%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.7K
$8.49 A$12.15
23.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.1K
$15.02 A$21.50
-7.06%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$3.46 A$4.95
17.05%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,934
$2.80 A$4.01
-45.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,794
$2.46 A$3.52
-14.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,405
$3.47 A$4.97
-34.01%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,810
$2.40 A$3.44
-12.08%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,518
$2.21 A$3.16
-22.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,778
$2.11 A$3.02
-44.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,101
$1.56 A$2.23
1.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.6K
$27.46 A$39.30
-85.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.3K
$10.59 A$15.16
32.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,688
$4.44 A$6.35
-60.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,756
$4.73 A$6.78
-42.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Epping
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,809
$3.20 A$4.58
-63.13%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 246.3K
$83.3 A$119
-8.37%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,833
$3.59 A$5.14
-49.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,874
$1.36 A$1.95
56.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.3K
$27.60 A$39.51
-70.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,117
$1.26 A$1.81
1.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.2M
$17.4K A$24.9K
98.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.2M
$18.9K A$27.0K
81.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Epping
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 573.8K
$139 A$199
27.81%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 44.8K
$28.02 A$40.11
-50.43%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.2K
$44.70 A$64.0
-31.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Epping
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 135.4K
$56.4 A$80.7
-25.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.2K
$17.89 A$25.61
-6.09%
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.1K
$14.25 A$20.40
-47.58%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Epping
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.6M
$1,669 A$2,389
-52.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.7M
$21.7K A$31.1K
-43.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Epping
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 278.7K
$70.3 A$101
22.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 191.3K
$48.67 A$69.7
21.76%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 446.6K
$119 A$171
15.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 319.0K
$107 A$152
-7.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Epping
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$1,490 A$2,134
-10.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$1,491 A$2,135
-55.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$2,359 A$3,377
-16.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$2,227 A$3,188
-53.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.2M
$5,850 A$8,375
-29.95%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
$4,978 A$7,126
-61.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Epping
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
$4,256 A$6,093
-84.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
5.5
98.91%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Epping: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Epping
$1.5K 124% $824
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Epping
$336 9.4% $29
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Epping
$212 4.8% $11
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Epping
$251 45.2% $78
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Epping
$155 9.9% $17
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Epping
$106 13.9% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Epping
$85 49.2% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,341 in Medellin and $1,490 in Epping. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Epping pays about 6.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $64 in Epping for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $336 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇦🇺 Epping
🕒 Local time
19:08 7:08 PM
11:08 11:08 AM
16 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
23,435
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,610 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Epping 14,330 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Epping

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 Epping: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Medellin or Epping?
Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Epping. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Medellin or in Epping?
On paper, salaries run 85% lower in Medellin. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Medellin compared to Epping?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,341 in Medellin versus $1,490 in Epping. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Medellin and in Epping?
Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47 versus $64 in Epping. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Medellin compared to Epping?
All in, you’ll spend $1,692 per month in Medellin versus $2,637 in Epping – Medellin is about 36% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Medellin or in Epping?
At $1,692 in Medellin versus $2,637 in Epping, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Epping. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Medellin or Epping?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Epping. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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