Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Avarua and Medellin

For one person, living costs are similar in Avarua and in Medellin: $1,638 and $1,639 a month, rent and utilities included.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Avarua

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

$1,638

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,638 per month in Avarua vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Avarua $1,638
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,652 per month in Avarua vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Avarua $1,652
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,666 per month in Avarua vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Avarua $1,666
Medellin $3,186

Avarua and Medellin have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.47 NZ$20.45

$8.09 COP 25.4K

41.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 NZ$103

$47.05 COP 148.0K

22.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 NZ$15.09

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-10.84%

Cappuccino

$3.16 NZ$5.64

$3.01 COP 9,485

4.98%

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

$2.24 NZ$3.99

$1.80 COP 5,660

24.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 NZ$4.10

$1.41 COP 4,443

63.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.61 NZ$10.00

$3.18 COP 9,990

76.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 NZ$7.48

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-26.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 NZ$2.96

$1.51 COP 4,751

9.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 NZ$5.93

$2.38 COP 7,480

39.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 NZ$2.99

$1.77 COP 5,573

-5.08%

Eggs

$4.76 NZ$8.49

$2.89 COP 9,093

64.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.58 NZ$20.64

$10.19 COP 32.1K

13.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.88 NZ$14.05

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-20.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.39 NZ$18.52

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-25.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 NZ$5.01

$3.97 COP 12.5K

-29.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 NZ$3.00

$1.55 COP 4,883

8.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 NZ$6.24

$2.18 COP 6,867

60.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.14 NZ$16.28

$2.18 COP 6,870

319.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 NZ$5.02

$1.96 COP 6,174

43.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 NZ$3.93

$1.59 COP 5,000

38.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 NZ$3.98

$1.15 COP 3,604

93.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 NZ$5.19

$1.24 COP 3,911

134.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

Wine (Bottle)

$14.24 NZ$25.38

$13.68 COP 43.0K

4.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 NZ$7.45

$2.26 COP 7,103

84.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 NZ$5.03

$1.17 COP 3,674

141.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 NZ$3.90

$1.35 COP 4,237

62.22%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

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

$112 NZ$199

$170 COP 533.7K

-34.06%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

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

$797 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$968 NZ$1,725

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-19.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$947 NZ$1,687

$642 COP 2.0M

47.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$115 NZ$205

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-94.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$944 NZ$1,683

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-50.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Avarua: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Avarua

–

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Groceries & Markets

Avarua

–

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Avarua

–

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Eating Out

Avarua

–

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Avarua

–

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Getting Around

Avarua

–

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Avarua

–

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $968 in Avarua versus $1,208 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 $58 in Avarua versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $358 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇰 Avarua

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

04:24 4:24 AM

09:24 9:24 AM

5 h ahead of Avarua

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Avarua Medellin 9,660 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Avarua
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

Avarua vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,457 per month in Avarua and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Avarua, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $968 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Interestingly, groceries are about 17% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58 in Avarua and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,638 in Avarua and $1,639 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,638 in Avarua to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.