Cost of Living Comparison Between Auckland and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Auckland and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,292 in Auckland versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,473 in Auckland versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,654 in Auckland versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Auckland is roughly 122% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Auckland is 72% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.06 NZ$25.72

$6.16 COP 20.1K

144.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.7 NZ$136

$32.60 COP 106.1K

144.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 NZ$16.61

$7.34 COP 23.9K

32.43%

Cappuccino

$3.39 NZ$5.79

$1.72 COP 5,599

97.09%

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

$2.38 NZ$4.06

$1.05 COP 3,420

126.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 NZ$3.88

$0.77 COP 2,515

194.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 NZ$12.70

$1.69 COP 5,487

339.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 NZ$12.08

$3.17 COP 10.3K

123.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 NZ$3.13

$1.05 COP 3,423

74.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 NZ$3.47

$1.30 COP 4,236

56.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 NZ$3.43

$1.40 COP 4,544

43.57%

Eggs

$7.00 NZ$11.96

$2.16 COP 7,046

224.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.56 NZ$14.62

$4.39 COP 14.3K

94.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.54 NZ$16.30

$5.88 COP 19.1K

62.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.97 NZ$22.16

$8.64 COP 28.1K

50.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 NZ$5.02

$2.28 COP 7,425

28.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 NZ$3.80

$1.11 COP 3,603

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 NZ$5.74

$1.53 COP 4,982

119.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 NZ$6.94

$1.35 COP 4,410

201.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 NZ$3.37

$1.13 COP 3,674

74.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 NZ$2.91

$1.13 COP 3,692

50.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 NZ$3.35

$0.85 COP 2,753

130.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 NZ$2.21

$0.91 COP 2,975

41.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.48 NZ$43.52

$2.34 COP 7,629

988.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.54 NZ$18.01

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-14.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 NZ$5.19

$1.20 COP 3,909

153.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 NZ$6.48

$2.49 COP 8,104

52.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 NZ$4.82

$0.84 COP 2,727

235.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$128 NZ$218

$40.57 COP 132.1K

214.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 NZ$3.53

$1.42 COP 4,623

45.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 NZ$3.26

$1.92 COP 6,235

-0.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.79 NZ$59.4

$7.66 COP 24.9K

354.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 NZ$2.77

$0.99 COP 3,223

63.64%

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

$27.9K NZ$47.6K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

54.69%

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

$21.8K NZ$37.2K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

-18.24%

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

$143 NZ$244

$80.8 COP 263.1K

76.56%

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

$30.50 NZ$52.1

$9.95 COP 32.4K

206.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.87 NZ$83.5

$24.18 COP 78.7K

102.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.25 NZ$60.2

$25.08 COP 81.6K

40.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.51 NZ$28.20

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-13.79%

Cinema Ticket

$14.79 NZ$25.27

$3.98 COP 13.0K

271.61%

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

$921 NZ$1,573

$305 COP 993.4K

201.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K NZ$23.0K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

122.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 NZ$119

$58.1 COP 189.2K

20.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.44 NZ$84.5

$32.20 COP 104.8K

53.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 NZ$167

$101 COP 327.9K

-2.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 NZ$217

$108 COP 350.8K

17.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 NZ$2,159

$477 COP 1.6M

165.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 NZ$1,912

$376 COP 1.2M

197.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,411 NZ$4,119

$845 COP 2.7M

185.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,830 NZ$3,127

$730 COP 2.4M

150.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,873 NZ$13.4K

$3,215 COP 10.5M

144.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,349 NZ$9,138

$1,372 COP 4.5M

289.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,087 NZ$5,273

$617 COP 2.0M

400.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

13.43

-52.57%

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

Last update for Auckland: July 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,264 in Auckland and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Auckland pays 400% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $80.0 in Auckland vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $193 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Auckland vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 122% lower than in Auckland. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 400% higher in Auckland, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,264 in Auckland versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $921 in Auckland versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Auckland. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $2,292 in Auckland, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Auckland. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,031 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Auckland and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Auckland. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.