Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,216 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Perth
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,216
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,625
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth 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 Perth and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,216 per month in Perth vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Perth $2,216
  • Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $3,240 per month in Perth vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Perth $3,240
  • Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $4,263 per month in Perth vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Perth $4,263
  • Medellin $3,199

Perth costs about 36% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Perth and Medellin sit above the global median – Perth by 64%, Medellin by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Perth
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.86 £17.90
$8.30 COP 26.3K
187.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.7 £59.8
$46.91 COP 148.7K
69.86%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$16.07 £12.05
$9.24 COP 29.3K
73.92%
Cappuccino
$4.12 £3.09
$3.05 COP 9,676
35.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 £1.80
$1.80 COP 5,707
33.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 £1.26
$1.38 COP 4,382
22.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.50 £4.88
$3.24 COP 10.3K
100.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.64 £4.23
$5.56 COP 17.6K
1.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Perth
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.40 £1.05
$1.50 COP 4,760
-6.67%
White Bread (500g)
$1.37 £1.03
$2.37 COP 7,508
-42.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.86 £1.40
$1.70 COP 5,377
9.41%
Eggs
$2.43 £1.82
$2.96 COP 9,379
-17.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.20 £6.15
$10.22 COP 32.4K
-19.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.65 £6.49
$9.74 COP 30.9K
-11.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.57 £10.18
$13.90 COP 44.1K
-2.37%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 £1.65
$4.13 COP 13.1K
-46.73%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 £1.21
$1.53 COP 4,839
5.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.61 £1.95
$2.22 COP 7,052
17.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.23 £2.42
$2.27 COP 7,194
42.29%
Potato (1kg)
$1.50 £1.12
$1.99 COP 6,311
-24.62%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 £1.28
$1.67 COP 5,285
2.40%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.06 £0.79
$1.18 COP 3,742
-10.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.54 £1.16
$1.24 COP 3,919
24.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.81 £15.61
$3.87 COP 12.3K
437.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.27 £8.45
$13.78 COP 43.7K
-18.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.00 £2.25
$1.66 COP 5,256
80.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.87 £2.15
$2.40 COP 7,615
19.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Perth
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.61 £2.71
$1.24 COP 3,944
191.13%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$97.8 £73.4
$78.2 COP 248.0K
25.07%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.21 £3.91
$1.28 COP 4,044
307.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.64 £1.98
$2.15 COP 6,803
22.79%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.06 £18.05
$8.37 COP 26.5K
187.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.92 £1.44
$1.35 COP 4,288
42.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.2K £26.4K
$34.8K COP 110.2M
1.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.7K £30.6K
$34.7K COP 110.0M
17.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Perth
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$614 £460
$167 COP 528.4K
268.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.28 £9.96
$13.62 COP 43.2K
-2.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$36.40 £27.31
$29.12 COP 92.3K
25.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Perth
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.47 £34.86
$45.09 COP 143.0K
3.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.18 COP 54.5K
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.41 £10.81
$6.97 COP 22.1K
106.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Perth
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,234 £926
$790 COP 2.5M
56.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.2K £18.9K
$9,041 COP 28.7M
178.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Perth
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$91.5 £68.6
$87.8 COP 278.4K
4.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.09 £33.82
$58.2 COP 184.4K
-22.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$66.8 £50.1
$139 COP 440.7K
-51.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$142 £107
$98.9 COP 313.5K
44.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Perth
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$691 £518
$1,028 COP 3.3M
-32.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$568 £426
$620 COP 2.0M
-8.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,207 £906
$1,881 COP 6.0M
-35.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,092 £819
$1,008 COP 3.2M
8.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,077 £3,809
$3,988 COP 12.6M
27.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,805 £2,854
$1,702 COP 5.4M
123.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Perth
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,454 £1,841
$663 COP 2.1M
270.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.07
10.94
-53.66%

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

Last update for Perth: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Perth
$663
Medellin
$209 68.4% $454
Accommodation & Living
Perth
$568
Medellin
$619 9% $51
Eating Out
Perth
$349
Medellin
$171 51% $178
Groceries & Markets
Perth
$275
Medellin
$298 8.5% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Perth
$156
Medellin
$173 11% $17
Getting Around
Perth
$131
Medellin
$95 27.1% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Perth
$75
Medellin
$59 21.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $691 in Perth versus $1,028 in Medellin. 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 270% higher in Perth, 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 $80.0 in Perth versus $47.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $275 in Perth vs $298 in Medellin – so Perth wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Perth
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
20:58 8:58 PM
14:58 2:58 PM
6 h behind Perth
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
46,660
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Perth Medellin 8,340 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Perth
  • 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
Perth vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Perth?
Yes – Perth is pricier by about 36%, 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 $3,324 per month in Perth and $2,437 in Medellin. 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 Perth or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Perth and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Perth and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,216 in Perth and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 36%.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Perth or in Medellin?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Perth at $2,216. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Perth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Perth or Medellin 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, Perth or Medellin?
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, Perth makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Perth vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?