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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,738 per month in Canterbury vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,703 per month in Canterbury vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,669 per month in Canterbury vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Canterbury costs about 72% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Canterbury sits 30% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 NZ$20.94

$5.99 COP 21.4K

105.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 NZ$114

$32.86 COP 117.2K

103.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 NZ$14.95

$7.09 COP 25.3K

23.84%

Cappuccino

$3.27 NZ$5.56

$1.71 COP 6,105

91.23%

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

$2.26 NZ$3.84

$1.10 COP 3,918

105.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 NZ$3.42

$0.78 COP 2,776

157.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.15 NZ$7.07

$1.68 COP 5,987

147.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 NZ$10.22

$3.07 COP 10.9K

95.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 NZ$2.12

$1.09 COP 3,899

14.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 NZ$3.22

$1.26 COP 4,500

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 NZ$3.08

$1.38 COP 4,914

31.16%

Eggs

$5.77 NZ$9.83

$2.19 COP 7,813

163.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.64 NZ$11.31

$4.40 COP 15.7K

50.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 NZ$17.98

$5.63 COP 20.1K

87.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.06 NZ$15.42

$8.89 COP 31.7K

1.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 NZ$3.90

$2.34 COP 8,334

-2.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 NZ$4.01

$1.06 COP 3,771

122.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 NZ$5.75

$1.50 COP 5,365

125.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 NZ$7.49

$1.38 COP 4,915

218.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 NZ$2.01

$1.15 COP 4,104

2.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 NZ$3.36

$1.16 COP 4,148

69.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 NZ$3.02

$0.89 COP 3,176

98.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 NZ$1.81

$0.84 COP 2,992

26.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.74 NZ$40.43

$2.28 COP 8,131

941.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.31 NZ$15.85

$10.64 COP 37.9K

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 NZ$4.35

$1.20 COP 4,276

113.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 NZ$6.05

$2.47 COP 8,809

43.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 NZ$1.48

$0.86 COP 3,051

1.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.3 NZ$109

$41.40 COP 147.6K

55.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 NZ$4.69

$1.47 COP 5,255

87.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 NZ$1.85

$1.96 COP 6,997

-44.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.73 NZ$50.6

$7.74 COP 27.6K

284.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 NZ$2.90

$0.95 COP 3,403

78.95%

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

$19.8K NZ$33.7K

$18.1K COP 64.6M

9.09%

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

$25.2K NZ$43.0K

$26.5K COP 94.4M

-4.77%

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

$102 NZ$174

$82.3 COP 293.2K

23.91%

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

$36.14 NZ$61.6

$9.50 COP 33.9K

280.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.2 NZ$94.0

$24.23 COP 86.4K

127.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.87 NZ$62.8

$25.89 COP 92.3K

42.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.13 NZ$20.65

$19.00 COP 67.7K

-36.16%

Cinema Ticket

$9.47 NZ$16.13

$3.93 COP 14.0K

140.97%

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

$578 NZ$984

$309 COP 1.1M

86.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K NZ$20.4K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

100.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 NZ$88.8

$58.7 COP 209.1K

-11.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.00 NZ$51.1

$32.35 COP 115.3K

-7.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.8 NZ$165

$103 COP 365.7K

-5.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 NZ$210

$108 COP 386.5K

13.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 NZ$1,658

$476 COP 1.7M

104.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$791 NZ$1,347

$379 COP 1.4M

108.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 NZ$2,686

$838 COP 3.0M

88.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 NZ$2,463

$724 COP 2.6M

99.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,817 NZ$4,798

$512 COP 1.8M

450.46%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Canterbury versus $476 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 450% 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: $289 vs $188 – 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: $1,738 in Canterbury, $1,013 in Medellin – roughly 72% apart. Canterbury costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,606 per month in Canterbury and $1,519 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 53% 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 $1,013, than in Canterbury at $1,738. 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 $1,013 in Medellin to $1,738 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.