Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashburton and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashburton and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,929 per month in Ashburton vs $1,681 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,945 per month in Ashburton vs $2,445 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,962 per month in Ashburton vs $3,210 in Medellin, rent included.

Ashburton costs about 15% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Ashburton and Medellin sit above the global median – Ashburton by 41%, Medellin by 23%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.25 NZ$24.87

$8.02 COP 25.3K

77.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 NZ$123

$47.87 COP 151.0K

47.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 NZ$16.59

$9.89 COP 31.2K

-3.84%

Cappuccino

$3.40 NZ$5.93

$3.13 COP 9,873

8.63%

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

$2.38 NZ$4.16

$1.91 COP 6,019

24.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 NZ$3.33

$1.51 COP 4,763

26.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 NZ$12.26

$3.12 COP 9,853

125.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 NZ$11.84

$5.75 COP 18.1K

17.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 NZ$3.11

$1.44 COP 4,558

23.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 NZ$3.37

$2.49 COP 7,843

-22.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 NZ$2.61

$1.77 COP 5,595

-15.25%

Eggs

$6.13 NZ$10.71

$2.96 COP 9,336

107.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.72 NZ$13.47

$10.07 COP 31.8K

-23.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 NZ$17.00

$10.12 COP 31.9K

-3.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 NZ$24.51

$14.30 COP 45.1K

-1.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 NZ$4.51

$4.14 COP 13.0K

-37.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 NZ$3.41

$1.61 COP 5,073

21.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 NZ$4.74

$2.25 COP 7,083

20.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.25 NZ$5.67

$2.25 COP 7,104

44.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 NZ$2.80

$2.04 COP 6,444

-21.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 NZ$2.65

$1.54 COP 4,842

-1.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 NZ$3.90

$1.17 COP 3,691

90.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 NZ$2.38

$1.31 COP 4,121

3.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.71 NZ$43.14

$3.90 COP 12.3K

533.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 NZ$15.52

$14.01 COP 44.2K

-36.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NZ$6.14

$1.74 COP 5,498

102.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 NZ$7.76

$2.87 COP 9,053

54.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 NZ$2.61

$1.22 COP 3,834

22.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 NZ$136

$80.5 COP 253.9K

-2.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 NZ$4.51

$1.31 COP 4,129

96.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 NZ$2.98

$2.19 COP 6,899

-21.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 NZ$51.2

$8.71 COP 27.5K

236.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 NZ$3.37

$1.37 COP 4,306

40.88%

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

$26.4K NZ$46.1K

$27.8K COP 87.8M

-5.10%

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

$25.0K NZ$43.6K

$35.8K COP 112.8M

-30.16%

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

$166 NZ$290

$177 COP 559.3K

-6.41%

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

$23.82 NZ$41.58

$13.88 COP 43.8K

71.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.09 NZ$80.5

$29.72 COP 93.8K

55.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.79 NZ$66.0

$44.88 COP 141.6K

-15.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.49 NZ$20.05

$6.65 COP 21.0K

72.78%

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

$683 NZ$1,192

$813 COP 2.6M

-16.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K NZ$39.3K

$9,187 COP 29.0M

144.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 NZ$104

$89.5 COP 282.3K

-33.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.64 NZ$70.9

$59.0 COP 186.0K

-31.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NZ$182

$138 COP 435.9K

-24.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 NZ$218

$102 COP 322.1K

22.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 NZ$1,748

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-5.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 NZ$1,644

$663 COP 2.1M

42.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 NZ$2,608

$1,888 COP 6.0M

-20.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 NZ$2,665

$1,027 COP 3.2M

48.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,215 NZ$9,103

$4,183 COP 13.2M

24.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,892 NZ$6,795

$1,675 COP 5.3M

132.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

10.94

-45.98%

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

Last update for Ashburton: September 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,002 in Ashburton versus $1,062 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 $71.0 in Ashburton versus $48.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $311 vs $305 – 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

Ashburton vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,929 in Ashburton, $1,681 in Medellin – roughly 15% apart. Ashburton costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,894 per month in Ashburton and $2,521 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.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Ashburton, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Ashburton and $48.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,681, than in Ashburton at $1,929. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ashburton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,681 in Medellin to $1,929 in Ashburton. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Ashburton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.