Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Port Macquarie

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,450 in Port Macquarie, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Port Macquarie
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,450
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Port Macquarie

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $2,450 in Port Macquarie, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,614
  • Port Macquarie $2,450

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $3,487 in Port Macquarie, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,402
  • Port Macquarie $3,487

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $4,525 in Port Macquarie, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,190
  • Port Macquarie $4,525

Medellin is about 34% cheaper than Port Macquarie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Port Macquarie sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Port Macquarie by 81%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Port Macquarie
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.93 COP 25.3K
$17.73 A$25.39
-55.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.13 COP 147.1K
$87.3 A$125
-47.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.3K
$10.34 A$14.82
-8.12%
Cappuccino
$3.11 COP 9,920
$3.90 A$5.59
-20.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 COP 5,832
$2.49 A$3.57
-26.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,384
$1.67 A$2.39
-17.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.05 COP 9,725
$6.19 A$8.87
-50.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.50 COP 17.5K
$6.38 A$9.13
-13.79%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Port Macquarie
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 COP 4,625
$2.03 A$2.91
-28.57%
White Bread (500g)
$2.36 COP 7,537
$2.93 A$4.20
-19.45%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 COP 5,358
$2.74 A$3.93
-38.69%
Eggs
$2.86 COP 9,127
$5.29 A$7.58
-45.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.5K
$5.12 A$7.34
99.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 COP 30.4K
$10.57 A$15.15
-9.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.04 COP 44.8K
$11.95 A$17.12
17.49%
Apples (1kg)
$4.07 COP 13.0K
$3.14 A$4.50
29.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 COP 4,768
$4.31 A$6.17
-65.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.17 COP 6,929
$2.40 A$3.43
-9.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 COP 7,350
$4.95 A$7.09
-53.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 COP 6,147
$2.39 A$3.42
-19.25%
Onion (1kg)
$1.64 COP 5,224
$2.39 A$3.42
-31.38%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 COP 3,590
$1.60 A$2.29
-29.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 COP 3,976
$1.50 A$2.15
-16.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.99 COP 12.7K
$42.49 A$60.9
-90.61%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.35 COP 42.6K
$10.41 A$14.91
28.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 COP 5,413
$4.13 A$5.92
-58.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 COP 7,566
$5.16 A$7.39
-54.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Port Macquarie
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.21 COP 3,848
$2.89 A$4.14
-58.13%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.5 COP 243.9K
$80.7 A$116
-5.25%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.32 COP 4,202
$3.66 A$5.24
-63.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.14 COP 6,811
$1.59 A$2.28
34.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.47 COP 27.0K
$42.84 A$61.4
-80.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 COP 4,137
$1.30 A$1.87
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K COP 89.2M
$26.2K A$37.5K
6.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K COP 112.9M
$22.0K A$31.5K
61.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Port Macquarie
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 COP 548.6K
$198 A$284
-13.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.37 COP 42.6K
$30.80 A$44.13
-56.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.73 COP 91.6K
$61.3 A$87.9
-53.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Port Macquarie
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.24 COP 144.2K
$51.5 A$73.7
-12.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.04 COP 54.3K
$9.54 A$13.67
78.62%
Cinema Ticket
$6.28 COP 20.0K
$10.92 A$15.64
-42.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Port Macquarie
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$770 COP 2.5M
$1,823 A$2,612
-57.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,011 COP 28.7M
$18.6K A$26.6K
-51.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Port Macquarie
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.4 COP 275.5K
$70.6 A$101
22.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.1 COP 182.1K
$54.9 A$78.6
4.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$137 COP 435.3K
$104 A$149
31.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 312.1K
$107 A$153
-8.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Port Macquarie
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,055 COP 3.4M
$1,408 A$2,016
-25.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$616 COP 2.0M
$1,201 A$1,721
-48.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,892 COP 6.0M
$2,133 A$3,055
-11.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 COP 3.3M
$1,693 A$2,426
-39.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,059 COP 12.9M
$5,785 A$8,287
-29.83%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,678 COP 5.4M
$4,938 A$7,074
-66.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Port Macquarie
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$652 COP 2.1M
$2,769 A$3,966
-76.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
5.33
105.25%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Port Macquarie: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$616
Port Macquarie
$1.2K 95.1% $585
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$295
Port Macquarie
$350 18.7% $55
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$214
Port Macquarie
$290 35.5% $76
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$170
Port Macquarie
$151 11.1% $19
Eating Out
Medellin
$168
Port Macquarie
$280 66.3% $112
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Port Macquarie
$104 11.3% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Port Macquarie
$73 26.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $1,408 in Port Macquarie. 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 324% higher in Port Macquarie, 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $87.0 in Port Macquarie. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $350 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇦🇺 Port Macquarie
🕒 Local time
13:12 1:12 PM
05:12 5:12 AM
16 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
47,793
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 3,188 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,559 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Port Macquarie 14,260 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Port Macquarie

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 Port Macquarie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Port Macquarie cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Port Macquarie is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $3,675 in Port Macquarie. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Port Macquarie?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $87.0 in Port Macquarie. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Port Macquarie?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $2,450 in Port Macquarie. That's a gap of about 52%.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Port Macquarie?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Port Macquarie at $2,450. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Macquarie it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Port Macquarie more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Medellin or Port Macquarie?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Port Macquarie makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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