Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Griffith

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,515 in Griffith, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Griffith, Australia
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Griffith
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,515
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Griffith

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $2,515 in Griffith.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Griffith $2,515

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,439 in Medellin versus $3,614 in Griffith.

  • Medellin $2,439
  • Griffith $3,614

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $4,712 in Griffith.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Griffith $4,712

Living in Medellin costs roughly 33% less than in Griffith, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 24% above, Griffith 85% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Griffith
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 26.9K
$17.87 A$25.52
-53.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.1K
$84.4 A$121
-44.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.6K
$10.59 A$15.12
-10.58%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$4.12 A$5.88
-24.03%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,700
$2.92 A$4.17
-39.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,597
$2.26 A$3.22
-37.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$7.75 A$11.07
-59.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.4K
$7.39 A$10.55
-22.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Griffith
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,946
$1.51 A$2.16
1.32%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,394
$2.66 A$3.80
-13.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,276
$2.28 A$3.26
-14.91%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,895
$4.84 A$6.91
-36.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.2K
$9.07 A$12.95
10.14%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.7K
$9.15 A$13.07
14.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.0K
$14.68 A$20.96
-4.90%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$3.85 A$5.50
5.19%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,932
$2.99 A$4.27
-48.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,791
$3.19 A$4.56
-34.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,402
$4.68 A$6.69
-51.07%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,807
$2.71 A$3.88
-22.14%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,515
$2.39 A$3.42
-28.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,776
$2.34 A$3.34
-50.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,099
$1.58 A$2.26
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.6K
$41.88 A$59.8
-90.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.3K
$14.00 A$20.00
0.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,685
$4.73 A$6.76
-62.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,752
$5.33 A$7.61
-49.16%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Griffith
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,807
$2.71 A$3.87
-56.46%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 246.2K
$82.5 A$118
-7.53%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,831
$3.43 A$4.89
-47.23%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,871
$1.66 A$2.36
28.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.2K
$39.80 A$56.8
-79.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,115
$1.38 A$1.96
-7.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.1M
$29.0K A$41.4K
18.86%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.1M
$26.7K A$38.1K
27.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Griffith
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 573.5K
$207 A$296
-14.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 44.8K
$27.81 A$39.71
-50.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.2K
$57.0 A$81.5
-46.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Griffith
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 135.4K
$55.7 A$79.5
-24.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.2K
$17.83 A$25.46
-5.78%
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.1K
$13.84 A$19.77
-46.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Griffith
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.5M
$2,140 A$3,057
-63.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.7M
$20.3K A$29.0K
-39.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Griffith
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 278.6K
$76.0 A$109
13.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 191.2K
$55.2 A$78.8
7.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 446.4K
$106 A$151
30.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 318.9K
$121 A$173
-18.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Griffith
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$1,420 A$2,028
-5.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$1,211 A$1,730
-44.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$2,227 A$3,181
-11.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$1,791 A$2,557
-42.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.2M
$5,896 A$8,419
-30.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
$4,996 A$7,135
-61.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Griffith
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
5.9
85.42%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Griffith: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Griffith
$1.2K 81.5% $544
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Griffith
$364 18.5% $57
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Griffith
$292 31.2% $69
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Griffith
$298 72.9% $126
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Griffith
$161 6.4% $11
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Griffith
$105 12.4% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Griffith
$83 46.5% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $1,420 in Griffith. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $84 in Griffith for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $364 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇦🇺 Griffith
🕒 Local time
06:30 6:30 AM
22:30 10:30 PM
16 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
20,799
💱 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 Griffith 14,730 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Griffith

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 Griffith: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Medellin and in Griffith?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $2,515 in Griffith, so Medellin is about 33% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Medellin compared to Griffith?
You’d need roughly $2,538 in Medellin and $3,773 in Griffith to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Medellin and in Griffith?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,420 in Griffith. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Medellin and in Griffith?
A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 6% less than in Griffith. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Medellin and Griffith?
Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $2,140 in Griffith. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
At $1,692 in Medellin versus $2,515 in Griffith, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Griffith. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Medellin and Griffith?
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.
Where should expats move: Medellin or Griffith?
Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Griffith. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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