Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Port Moresby

For one person, living costs are similar in Medellin and in Port Moresby: $1,589 and $1,532 a month, rent and utilities included.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Port Moresby
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Port Moresby Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Port Moresby

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$1,532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $1,532 in Port Moresby, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Port Moresby $1,532

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $2,418 in Port Moresby, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Port Moresby $2,418

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $3,305 in Port Moresby, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Port Moresby $3,305

Medellin costs about 4% more than Port Moresby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Medellin and Port Moresby sit above the global median – Medellin by 19%, Port Moresby by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.8K

$7.76 PGK 33.98

3.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 149.9K

$43.89 PGK 192

6.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.4K

$5.38 PGK 23.58

75.28%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,374

$2.44 PGK 10.69

19.26%

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

$1.75 COP 5,643

$0.77 PGK 3.38

127.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,263

$0.67 PGK 2.95

97.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$2.91 PGK 12.74

7.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.9K

$3.56 PGK 15.59

55.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,542

$1.82 PGK 7.97

-22.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,858

$1.54 PGK 6.74

58.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,245

$1.39 PGK 6.09

17.27%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 9,084

$3.62 PGK 15.86

-22.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 31.2K

$8.64 PGK 37.85

12.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 30.0K

$5.60 PGK 24.55

66.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 43.3K

$9.92 PGK 43.46

35.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.9K

$4.21 PGK 18.45

-4.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,768

$3.12 PGK 13.67

-52.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,839

$7.01 PGK 30.72

-69.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,253

$6.56 PGK 28.75

-65.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,155

$3.40 PGK 14.92

-43.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,214

$2.92 PGK 12.79

-44.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

$2.33 PGK 10.20

-50.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,063

$1.29 PGK 5.64

-2.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.3K

$6.26 PGK 27.45

-38.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 42.2K

$10.73 PGK 47.04

22.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,136

$2.54 PGK 11.11

-37.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,263

$3.51 PGK 15.38

-35.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$0.42 PGK 1.86

178.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 241.5K

$21.95 PGK 96.2

241.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,098

$5.43 PGK 23.79

-76.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,600

$2.25 PGK 9.87

-8.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.4K

$15.47 PGK 67.8

-46.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,088

$0.94 PGK 4.13

35.11%

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

$26.8K COP 86.2M

$49.2K PGK 215.6K

-45.57%

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

$34.4K COP 110.8M

$17.3K PGK 75.6K

99.41%

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

$162 COP 522.3K

$117 PGK 513

38.50%

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

$13.12 COP 42.3K

$22.67 PGK 99.4

-42.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 90.5K

$91.2 PGK 399

-69.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 142.7K

$60.2 PGK 264

-26.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.6K

$22.04 PGK 96.6

-25.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.6K

$8.74 PGK 38.31

-30.32%

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

$764 COP 2.5M

$836 PGK 3,665

-8.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.7M

$6,242 PGK 27.4K

42.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 273.6K

$32.86 PGK 144

158.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 185.1K

$31.67 PGK 139

81.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 424.2K

$136 PGK 595

-2.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 308.3K

$160 PGK 702

-40.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$1,577 PGK 6,911

-34.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$551 PGK 2,414

9.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.8M

$3,049 PGK 13.4K

-40.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$1,129 PGK 4,945

-12.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.6M

$2,035 PGK 8,917

92.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.3M

$3,755 PGK 16.5K

-56.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$429 PGK 1,881

45.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

12.17

-10.11%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Port Moresby: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Port Moresby

$551 36.3% 8.9% $54

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Port Moresby

$320 21.1% 10.9% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Port Moresby

$231 15.2% 13.5% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Port Moresby

$162 10.7% 2.6% $4.3

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Port Moresby

$135 8.9% 18.9% $31

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Port Moresby

$40 2.7% 55.8% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Port Moresby

$78 5.1% 37.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,577 in Port Moresby. 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 46% higher in Medellin, 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 $44.00 in Port Moresby. Groceries tell a different story – $288 in Medellin vs $320 in Port Moresby – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇬 Port Moresby

🕒 Local time

21:56 9:56 PM

12:56 12:56 PM

15 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

364,145 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, 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).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.91 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Port Moresby 15,290 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Port Moresby

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 Moresby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $2,298 in Port Moresby. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Port Moresby, 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 $44.00 in Port Moresby. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Medellin and $1,532 in Port Moresby. That's a gap of about 4%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Port Moresby, where all-in costs run around $1,532, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Port Moresby it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Port Moresby – 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 Port Moresby. 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.