Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gold Coast

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,922 in Gold Coast, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Gold Coast
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Gold Coast Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Gold Coast

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,922

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Gold Coast

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $2,922 in Gold Coast.

Medellin $1,639
Gold Coast $2,922

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $4,497 in Gold Coast.

Medellin $2,413
Gold Coast $4,497

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $6,073 in Gold Coast.

Medellin $3,186
Gold Coast $6,073

Living in Medellin costs roughly 44% less than in Gold Coast, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Gold Coast 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$20.81 A$29.59

-61.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$105 A$149

-55.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$10.62 A$15.09

-10.55%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$3.76 A$5.34

-19.95%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$2.83 A$4.02

-36.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$2.46 A$3.50

-42.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$7.77 A$11.05

-59.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$7.51 A$10.68

-23.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.57 A$2.23

-3.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$2.65 A$3.76

-10.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$2.36 A$3.35

-25.00%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$4.90 A$6.97

-41.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$9.09 A$12.93

12.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$9.50 A$13.51

3.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$14.71 A$20.92

-4.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$3.95 A$5.61

0.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$3.19 A$4.54

-51.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$3.47 A$4.93

-37.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$4.16 A$5.91

-47.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$2.59 A$3.68

-24.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$2.48 A$3.53

-35.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$2.45 A$3.48

-53.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$2.32 A$3.30

-46.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$45.55 A$64.8

-91.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$14.19 A$20.17

-3.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,222

$5.73 A$8.15

-71.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,104

$6.73 A$9.56

-66.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$2.73 A$3.88

-57.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$56.0 A$79.7

38.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$2.22 A$3.15

-42.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$1.65 A$2.34

24.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$36.90 A$52.5

-76.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.38 A$1.96

-2.17%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$29.2K A$41.5K

16.69%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$26.6K A$37.8K

30.26%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$218 A$310

-22.23%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$31.16 A$44.31

-56.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$54.4 A$77.4

-48.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$60.7 A$86.3

-27.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$17.58 A$25.00

-2.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$13.50 A$19.20

-48.81%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$2,134 A$3,034

-62.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$12.1K A$17.2K

-24.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$76.3 A$109

10.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$53.6 A$76.2

8.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$106 A$150

27.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$124 A$176

-21.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$2,293 A$3,260

-47.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$1,588 A$2,258

-59.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$3,278 A$4,662

-38.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$2,998 A$4,263

-66.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$10.8K A$15.4K

-61.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$7,117 A$10.1K

-73.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$4,118 A$5,855

-84.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.69

92.27%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Gold Coast: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Gold Coast

$1.6K 54.4% 148% $946

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Gold Coast

$384 13.2% 29.4% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Gold Coast

$304 10.4% 43.8% $92

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Gold Coast

$318 10.9% 87.8% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Gold Coast

$162 5.5% 4.2% $7.1

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Gold Coast

$77 2.7% 17.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Gold Coast

$88 3% 52.4% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $2,293 in Gold Coast. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gold Coast pays about 6.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $105 in Gold Coast for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $384 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇦🇺 Gold Coast

🕒 Local time

06:59 6:59 AM

21:59 9:59 PM

15 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

607,665

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Gold Coast 14,320 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Gold Coast

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 Gold Coast: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Gold Coast differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($1,639 vs $2,922 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 84% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $2,293 in Gold Coast. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Gold Coast runs roughly 28% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $2,134 in Gold Coast. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,639 in Medellin versus $2,922 in Gold Coast, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Gold Coast. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Medellin wins on affordability, Gold Coast on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.