Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,281 per month in Perth vs $1,030 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,392 per month in Perth vs $1,586 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,504 per month in Perth vs $2,143 in Medellin, rent included.

Perth costs about 122% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Perth sits 70% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 A$23.01

$5.92 COP 21.1K

177.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 A$111

$33.17 COP 118.4K

139.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 A$14.71

$7.25 COP 25.9K

44.97%

Cappuccino

$3.65 A$5.11

$1.71 COP 6,119

113.45%

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

$2.59 A$3.62

$1.09 COP 3,903

137.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 A$2.77

$0.77 COP 2,734

157.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 A$11.08

$1.75 COP 6,235

352.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 A$8.87

$3.18 COP 11.4K

99.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.05

$1.06 COP 3,781

37.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 A$3.27

$1.30 COP 4,643

80.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 A$2.82

$1.38 COP 4,911

45.65%

Eggs

$4.48 A$6.27

$2.21 COP 7,884

102.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 A$11.64

$4.52 COP 16.1K

84.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.36 A$11.71

$5.80 COP 20.7K

44.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.87 A$19.41

$8.97 COP 32.0K

54.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 A$4.79

$2.29 COP 8,158

49.34%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 A$4.22

$1.06 COP 3,779

183.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 A$4.11

$1.51 COP 5,395

94.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 A$6.55

$1.36 COP 4,854

244.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.51

$1.16 COP 4,133

116.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 A$2.52

$1.17 COP 4,161

53.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 A$2.79

$0.83 COP 2,951

139.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 A$2.05

$0.85 COP 3,034

71.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.67 A$44.34

$2.35 COP 8,398

1247.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 A$14.96

$11.09 COP 39.6K

-3.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.82 A$5.34

$1.15 COP 4,120

232.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 A$5.87

$2.47 COP 8,827

69.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 A$4.26

$0.79 COP 2,819

284.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 A$101

$41.85 COP 149.3K

72.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 A$5.61

$1.44 COP 5,124

178.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 A$3.13

$1.90 COP 6,772

17.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.44 A$69.2

$7.70 COP 27.5K

542.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 A$1.63

$1.03 COP 3,669

12.62%

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

$29.3K A$41.0K

$17.7K COP 63.1M

65.44%

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

$23.9K A$33.5K

$27.0K COP 96.4M

-11.37%

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

$157 A$220

$81.4 COP 290.5K

93.34%

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

$27.62 A$38.67

$9.42 COP 33.6K

193.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 A$77.8

$23.77 COP 84.8K

133.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.18 A$57.7

$25.86 COP 92.3K

59.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.86 A$22.20

$19.34 COP 69.0K

-17.99%

Cinema Ticket

$16.40 A$22.96

$4.05 COP 14.5K

304.94%

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

$1,792 A$2,509

$312 COP 1.1M

473.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K A$16.7K

$6,067 COP 21.6M

96.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.3 A$98.4

$58.9 COP 210.0K

19.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.26 A$67.6

$32.82 COP 117.1K

47.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$141

$100 COP 358.5K

0.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 A$150

$106 COP 379.2K

0.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 A$2,104

$490 COP 1.7M

206.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,152 A$1,612

$371 COP 1.3M

210.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,520 A$3,528

$838 COP 3.0M

200.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,818 A$2,546

$715 COP 2.6M

154.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,479 A$9,070

$2,952 COP 10.5M

119.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,911 A$6,875

$1,394 COP 5.0M

252.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,214 A$5,900

$532 COP 1.9M

692.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

13.43

-52.20%

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

Last update for Perth: April 21, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,503 in Perth versus $490 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 692% 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 $79 in Perth versus $33 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $328 vs $190 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Yes – Perth is pricier by about 122%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,421 per month in Perth and $1,544 in Medellin. 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 $79.0 in Perth and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,281 in Perth and $1,030 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,030, than in Perth at $2,281. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Perth 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.

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.

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.