Cost of Living Comparison Between Canterbury and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Canterbury and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,721 per month in Canterbury vs $1,031 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,700 per month in Canterbury vs $1,599 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,679 per month in Canterbury vs $2,167 in Medellin, rent included.

Canterbury costs about 67% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Canterbury sits 29% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.89 NZ$20.36

$6.16 COP 20.1K

93.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 NZ$115

$32.60 COP 106.1K

106.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 NZ$15.52

$7.34 COP 23.9K

23.43%

Cappuccino

$3.39 NZ$5.81

$1.72 COP 5,600

97.09%

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

$2.22 NZ$3.81

$1.05 COP 3,420

111.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 NZ$3.58

$0.77 COP 2,515

171.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.18 NZ$7.16

$1.69 COP 5,488

147.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 NZ$10.17

$3.17 COP 10.3K

87.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 NZ$2.02

$1.05 COP 3,423

12.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 NZ$3.28

$1.30 COP 4,236

47.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 NZ$3.14

$1.40 COP 4,544

31.43%

Eggs

$5.72 NZ$9.79

$2.16 COP 7,047

164.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.68 NZ$11.43

$4.39 COP 14.3K

52.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.54 NZ$18.05

$5.88 COP 19.1K

79.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.81 NZ$15.09

$8.64 COP 28.1K

1.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 NZ$3.83

$2.28 COP 7,426

-1.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 NZ$3.88

$1.11 COP 3,604

104.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 NZ$5.82

$1.53 COP 4,983

122.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 NZ$7.87

$1.35 COP 4,410

240.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 NZ$2.10

$1.13 COP 3,674

8.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 NZ$3.52

$1.13 COP 3,692

81.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 NZ$3.04

$0.85 COP 2,753

109.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 NZ$1.83

$0.91 COP 2,975

17.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.81 NZ$40.77

$2.34 COP 7,630

917.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.86 NZ$15.17

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-28.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 NZ$4.38

$1.20 COP 3,909

113.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 NZ$6.10

$2.49 COP 8,104

42.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 NZ$1.57

$0.84 COP 2,728

9.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.4 NZ$109

$40.57 COP 132.1K

56.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 NZ$4.76

$1.42 COP 4,623

95.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 NZ$1.95

$1.92 COP 6,235

-40.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.74 NZ$50.9

$7.66 COP 24.9K

288.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.95

$0.99 COP 3,223

74.75%

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

$20.2K NZ$34.6K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

12.20%

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

$25.1K NZ$43.0K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

-5.60%

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

$103 NZ$177

$80.8 COP 263.1K

27.60%

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

$36.20 NZ$62.0

$9.95 COP 32.4K

263.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 NZ$95.1

$24.18 COP 78.7K

129.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.64 NZ$62.7

$25.08 COP 81.7K

46.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.25 NZ$20.98

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-36.03%

Cinema Ticket

$9.90 NZ$16.95

$3.98 COP 13.0K

148.74%

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

$585 NZ$1,002

$305 COP 993.5K

91.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K NZ$20.6K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

98.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 NZ$89.3

$58.1 COP 189.2K

-10.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.35 NZ$50.3

$32.20 COP 104.8K

-8.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 NZ$163

$101 COP 327.9K

-5.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 NZ$207

$108 COP 350.8K

12.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 NZ$1,625

$477 COP 1.6M

99.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$785 NZ$1,344

$376 COP 1.2M

108.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,542 NZ$2,641

$845 COP 2.7M

82.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,454 NZ$2,490

$730 COP 2.4M

99.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,169 NZ$7,139

$3,215 COP 10.5M

29.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,094 NZ$5,297

$1,372 COP 4.5M

125.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,770 NZ$4,743

$617 COP 2.0M

349.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

13.43

-47.36%

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

Last update for Canterbury: July 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $949 in Canterbury versus $477 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 349% higher in Canterbury, 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 $67.0 in Canterbury versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $193 – 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

Canterbury vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,721 in Canterbury, $1,031 in Medellin – roughly 67% apart. Canterbury costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,582 per month in Canterbury and $1,546 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 49% more in Canterbury, 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 $67.0 in Canterbury and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,031, than in Canterbury at $1,721. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Canterbury 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 $1,031 in Medellin to $1,721 in Canterbury. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Canterbury makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.