Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Newcastle Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Newcastle

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,081 in Newcastle, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,703 in Newcastle, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,324 in Newcastle, rent included.

Medellin costs about 55% more than Newcastle, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Newcastle is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$9.53 R 155

-15.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$39.02 R 634

22.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$5.75 R 93.4

72.00%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$2.38 R 38.61

31.51%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$1.08 R 17.58

76.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.92 R 14.99

64.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$2.73 R 44.33

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$3.21 R 52.2

79.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.26 R 20.40

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$1.18 R 19.20

111.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$1.43 R 23.25

23.78%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$1.91 R 31.03

54.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$7.05 R 115

42.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$5.23 R 85.0

93.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$7.32 R 119

95.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$0.89 R 14.39

365.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.11 R 17.96

45.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$0.99 R 16.01

127.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$1.37 R 22.31

64.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$1.01 R 16.42

101.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$1.25 R 20.28

23.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$0.81 R 13.11

44.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$0.59 R 9.64

122.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$3.27 R 53.1

19.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$3.04 R 49.37

360.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$1.43 R 23.25

21.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$0.96 R 15.61

198.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$1.53 R 24.93

-20.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$0.30 R 4.87

336.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$0.85 R 13.76

157.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$15.18 R 247

-42.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.50 R 24.43

-8.67%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$36.6K R 594.3K

-23.90%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$34.5K R 560.9K

3.61%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$154 R 2,503

15.10%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$37.74 R 613

-63.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$38.76 R 630

-23.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

$33.57 R 545

33.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$7.65 R 124

-13.07%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$274 R 4,455

196.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$5,663 R 92.0K

62.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$54.1 R 879

65.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$33.93 R 551

73.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$95.4 R 1,550

44.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$85.7 R 1,392

19.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$423 R 6,868

151.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$377 R 6,118

76.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$801 R 13.0K

135.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$771 R 12.5K

33.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$882 R 14.3K

374.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$701 R 11.4K

138.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.34

-3.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Newcastle: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $423 in Newcastle. 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $39.00 in Newcastle. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $160 – making Newcastle the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Newcastle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 55%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,622 in Newcastle. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Newcastle, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $39.00 in Newcastle. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 90% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Newcastle, where all-in costs run around $1,081, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Newcastle it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Newcastle – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Newcastle. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.