Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Noumea

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,589 a month against $2,410 in Noumea, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Noumea
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Noumea Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Noumea

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,410

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Noumea

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $2,410 in Noumea, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Noumea $2,410

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $3,800 in Noumea, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Noumea $3,800

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $5,190 in Noumea, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Noumea $5,190

Medellin is about 34% cheaper than Noumea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Noumea sit above the global median – Medellin by 19%, Noumea by 80%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.8K

$20.86 CFPF 2,220

-61.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 149.9K

$114 CFPF 12.1K

-59.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.4K

$13.85 CFPF 1,474

-31.91%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,374

$4.68 CFPF 498

-37.82%

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

$1.75 COP 5,643

$2.01 CFPF 214

-12.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,263

$1.27 CFPF 135

3.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$9.50 CFPF 1,011

-67.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.9K

$7.26 CFPF 773

-23.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,542

$1.17 CFPF 125

20.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,858

$3.58 CFPF 381

-31.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,245

$2.16 CFPF 230

-24.54%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 9,084

$6.13 CFPF 653

-54.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 31.2K

$30.21 CFPF 3,215

-67.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 30.0K

$27.65 CFPF 2,942

-66.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 43.3K

$28.19 CFPF 3,000

-52.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.9K

$4.58 CFPF 487

-12.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,768

$7.29 CFPF 776

-79.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,839

$6.27 CFPF 668

-66.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,253

$7.98 CFPF 849

-71.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,155

$5.55 CFPF 591

-65.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,214

$3.86 CFPF 411

-58.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

$4.04 CFPF 430

-71.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,063

$1.50 CFPF 160

-16.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.3K

$19.46 CFPF 2,070

-80.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 42.2K

$17.03 CFPF 1,812

-23.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,136

$5.54 CFPF 590

-71.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,263

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$4.62 CFPF 491

-74.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 241.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,098

$6.96 CFPF 741

-81.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,600

$1.11 CFPF 119

84.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.4K

$21.46 CFPF 2,284

-61.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,088

$1.63 CFPF 174

-22.09%

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

$26.8K COP 86.2M

$32.5K CFPF 3.5M

-17.66%

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

$34.4K COP 110.8M

$37.3K CFPF 4.0M

-7.70%

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

$162 COP 522.3K

$205 CFPF 21.8K

-20.70%

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

$13.12 COP 42.3K

$44.24 CFPF 4,707

-70.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 90.5K

$48.09 CFPF 5,117

-41.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 142.7K

$48.48 CFPF 5,158

-8.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.6K

$8.25 CFPF 878

97.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.6K

$14.26 CFPF 1,517

-57.29%

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

$764 COP 2.5M

$759 CFPF 80.8K

0.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.7M

$9,318 CFPF 991.4K

-4.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 273.6K

$111 CFPF 11.9K

-23.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 185.1K

$65.0 CFPF 6,912

-11.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 424.2K

$100 CFPF 10.7K

31.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 308.3K

$247 CFPF 26.3K

-61.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$761 CFPF 80.9K

35.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$761 CFPF 81.0K

-20.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.8M

$1,520 CFPF 161.7K

18.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$1,349 CFPF 143.6K

-26.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.6M

$4,777 CFPF 508.3K

-17.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.3M

$3,453 CFPF 367.4K

-52.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$2,726 CFPF 290.1K

-77.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.13

249.52%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Noumea: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Noumea

$761 31.9% 25.9% $156

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Noumea

$646 * 27.1% 124% $358

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Noumea

$297 12.4% 45.9% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Noumea

$236 9.9% 41.5% $69

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Noumea

$340 14.2% 104% $173

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Noumea

$31 * 1.3% 66% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Noumea

$77 3.2% 36.3% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $761 in Noumea. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 335% higher in Noumea, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $114 in Noumea. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $646 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇳🇨 Noumea

🕒 Local time

02:35 2:35 AM

18:35 6:35 PM

16 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

91,386 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.4 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XPF, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,220 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 106 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.4 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Noumea 13,140 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Noumea

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 Noumea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Noumea is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $3,614 in Noumea. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, 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 $47.00 in Medellin and $114 in Noumea. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 124% more in Noumea, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,589, than in Noumea at $2,410. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Noumea it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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