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: $2,302 in Auckland versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,464 in Auckland versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,626 in Auckland versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Auckland is roughly 127% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Auckland is 72% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.83 NZ$25.26

$5.99 COP 21.3K

147.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.6 NZ$132

$32.86 COP 116.9K

136.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 NZ$16.27

$7.09 COP 25.2K

34.70%

Cappuccino

$3.50 NZ$5.97

$1.71 COP 6,093

104.68%

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

$2.28 NZ$3.88

$1.10 COP 3,910

107.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 NZ$3.87

$0.78 COP 2,771

191.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.42 NZ$12.63

$1.68 COP 5,976

341.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 NZ$12.03

$3.07 COP 10.9K

129.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 NZ$3.07

$1.09 COP 3,892

65.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 NZ$3.58

$1.26 COP 4,492

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 NZ$3.39

$1.38 COP 4,905

44.20%

Eggs

$6.74 NZ$11.48

$2.19 COP 7,799

207.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 NZ$14.38

$4.40 COP 15.7K

91.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 NZ$16.73

$5.63 COP 20.0K

74.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 NZ$22.01

$8.89 COP 31.6K

45.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 NZ$4.96

$2.34 COP 8,319

24.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 NZ$3.79

$1.06 COP 3,764

109.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 NZ$5.49

$1.50 COP 5,355

114.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 NZ$7.00

$1.38 COP 4,906

197.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 NZ$3.55

$1.15 COP 4,097

81.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 NZ$2.78

$1.16 COP 4,141

40.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 NZ$3.24

$0.89 COP 3,170

113.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 NZ$2.19

$0.84 COP 2,986

53.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.66 NZ$43.70

$2.28 COP 8,116

1025.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.98 NZ$17.00

$10.64 COP 37.9K

-6.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 NZ$5.01

$1.20 COP 4,268

145.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 NZ$6.79

$2.47 COP 8,793

61.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 NZ$4.68

$0.86 COP 3,045

219.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$131 NZ$223

$41.40 COP 147.3K

216.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 NZ$3.56

$1.47 COP 5,245

42.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 NZ$3.32

$1.96 COP 6,984

-0.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.65 NZ$60.7

$7.74 COP 27.5K

360.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 NZ$2.88

$0.95 COP 3,397

77.89%

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

$28.4K NZ$48.3K

$18.1K COP 64.5M

56.50%

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

$22.2K NZ$37.8K

$26.5K COP 94.2M

-16.21%

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

$146 NZ$249

$82.3 COP 292.7K

77.64%

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

$30.66 NZ$52.2

$9.50 COP 33.8K

222.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.24 NZ$82.2

$24.23 COP 86.2K

99.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.08 NZ$61.5

$25.89 COP 92.1K

39.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.60 NZ$28.28

$19.00 COP 67.6K

-12.63%

Cinema Ticket

$15.28 NZ$26.02

$3.93 COP 14.0K

288.80%

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

$922 NZ$1,571

$309 COP 1.1M

198.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K NZ$23.2K

$5,965 COP 21.2M

128.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 NZ$121

$58.7 COP 208.7K

20.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.43 NZ$84.2

$32.35 COP 115.1K

52.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 NZ$165

$103 COP 365.1K

-5.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 NZ$211

$108 COP 385.8K

14.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 NZ$2,154

$476 COP 1.7M

165.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 NZ$1,972

$379 COP 1.3M

205.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,413 NZ$4,110

$838 COP 3.0M

187.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,862 NZ$3,171

$724 COP 2.6M

157.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,096 NZ$13.8K

$2,791 COP 9.9M

190.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,456 NZ$9,293

$1,211 COP 4.3M

350.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,260 NZ$5,553

$512 COP 1.8M

537.01%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,264 in Auckland and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Auckland pays 537% 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: $78.0 in Auckland vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $188 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 127% 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.

Auckland pays 537% more on average, 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 $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $922 in Auckland versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Auckland. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,302 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 $1,013 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 127% less than in Auckland. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.