Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Newcastle, South Africa and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Newcastle: $1,020 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Newcastle
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Newcastle Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Newcastle

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,020

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Newcastle and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Newcastle and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,020 per month in Newcastle vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Newcastle $1,020
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $1,627 per month in Newcastle vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Newcastle $1,627
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $2,235 per month in Newcastle vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Newcastle $2,235
Medellin $3,249

Newcastle is about 40% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Newcastle sits 25% below the global median, while Medellin is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R 150

$8.34 COP 26.9K

9.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.28 R 595

$46.53 COP 150.1K

-22.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 R 87.4

$9.47 COP 30.5K

-43.72%

Cappuccino

$2.28 R 37.39

$3.13 COP 10.1K

-27.16%

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

$1.03 R 16.83

$1.77 COP 5,696

-41.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.24

$1.42 COP 4,594

-42.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 R 38.73

$3.15 COP 10.2K

-25.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 R 55.4

$5.70 COP 18.4K

-40.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.50

$1.53 COP 4,943

-22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 R 18.03

$2.29 COP 7,389

-51.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 R 21.91

$1.94 COP 6,273

-30.93%

Eggs

$1.83 R 30.08

$3.07 COP 9,889

-40.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.79 R 111

$9.99 COP 32.2K

-32.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.97 R 81.6

$10.45 COP 33.7K

-52.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.43 R 122

$13.96 COP 45.0K

-46.78%

Apples (1kg)

$0.84 R 13.85

$4.05 COP 13.1K

-79.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 R 16.83

$1.53 COP 4,929

-32.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 R 15.23

$2.10 COP 6,786

-55.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 R 22.55

$2.29 COP 7,397

-40.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 R 15.69

$2.11 COP 6,803

-54.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R 20.23

$1.71 COP 5,512

-28.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R 12.62

$1.17 COP 3,774

-34.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 R 10.01

$1.58 COP 5,096

-61.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.22 R 52.9

$3.91 COP 12.6K

-17.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.93 R 48.01

$14.04 COP 45.3K

-79.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 R 22.50

$1.76 COP 5,682

-22.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.39

$2.71 COP 8,746

-67.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 R 26.10

$1.18 COP 3,805

34.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 R 5.16

$1.81 COP 5,827

-82.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 R 12.53

$2.13 COP 6,867

-64.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.48 R 238

$8.13 COP 26.2K

78.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 R 25.16

$1.28 COP 4,113

19.53%

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

$35.8K R 587.8K

$34.4K COP 111.1M

4.03%

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

$34.1K R 560.0K

$34.1K COP 110.1M

-0.00%

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

$154 R 2,527

$178 COP 573.2K

-13.33%

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

$37.56 R 616

$13.89 COP 44.8K

170.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.63 R 601

$30.74 COP 99.1K

19.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.65 R 536

$41.94 COP 135.3K

-22.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.38 R 170

$16.80 COP 54.2K

-38.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.29 R 120

$7.47 COP 24.1K

-2.41%

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

$265 R 4,353

$790 COP 2.5M

-66.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,178 R 101.4K

$12.3K COP 39.7M

-49.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 R 865

$86.3 COP 278.4K

-38.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.02 R 525

$59.3 COP 191.1K

-45.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 R 1,505

$138 COP 446.2K

-33.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.1 R 1,347

$98.8 COP 318.7K

-16.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 R 7,116

$1,341 COP 4.3M

-67.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$321 R 5,260

$667 COP 2.2M

-51.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$759 R 12.4K

$1,976 COP 6.4M

-61.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 R 12.3K

$1,033 COP 3.3M

-27.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$676 R 11.1K

$4,098 COP 13.2M

-83.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$704 R 11.5K

$1,940 COP 6.3M

-63.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

10.94

3.66%

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

Last update for Newcastle: November 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Newcastle

$321 31.5%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 108% $347

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Newcastle

$228 22.4%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 2.6% $5.9

Groceries & Markets

Newcastle

$154 15.1%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 99.3% $153

Eating Out

Newcastle

$142 14%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 21.2% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Newcastle

$116 11.4%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 48% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Newcastle

$47 4.6%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 20.5% $9.7

Getting Around

Newcastle

$11 * 1%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 790% $83

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $434 in Newcastle versus $1,341 in Medellin. 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 $36 in Newcastle versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $154 vs $307 – making Newcastle the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Newcastle

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

10:42 10:42 AM

03:42 3:42 AM

7 h behind Newcastle

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

363,236

2,486,723

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.09 USD

100 ZAR = 5.42 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 16.41 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.09 USD). 1 EUR = 18.44 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.42 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,624 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Newcastle Medellin 11,860 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Newcastle
Medellin

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

Newcastle vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,529 per month in Newcastle and $2,538 in Medellin. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $434 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Newcastle and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 99% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,020 in Newcastle and $1,692 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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.