Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hastings and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $1,731 in Hastings, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Hastings
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Hastings Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Hastings

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,731

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,731 per month in Hastings vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Hastings $1,731
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $2,526 per month in Hastings vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Hastings $2,526
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $3,322 per month in Hastings vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Hastings $3,322
Medellin $3,190

Hastings costs about 7% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Hastings and Medellin sit above the global median – Hastings by 28%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.05 NZ$19.55

$7.93 COP 25.2K

39.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.7 NZ$98.5

$46.13 COP 146.3K

20.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.05 NZ$16.00

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-4.74%

Cappuccino

$3.06 NZ$5.41

$3.11 COP 9,866

-1.61%

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

$1.87 NZ$3.31

$1.83 COP 5,800

2.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 NZ$2.41

$1.38 COP 4,360

-1.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.34 NZ$7.67

$3.05 COP 9,672

42.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.51 NZ$9.75

$5.50 COP 17.4K

0.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 NZ$2.50

$1.45 COP 4,600

-2.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 NZ$2.28

$2.36 COP 7,496

-45.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 NZ$3.05

$1.68 COP 5,328

2.38%

Eggs

$5.45 NZ$9.64

$2.86 COP 9,077

90.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.72 NZ$10.11

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-43.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.30 NZ$12.90

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-23.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.45 NZ$20.26

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-18.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 NZ$4.71

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-34.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 NZ$3.40

$1.50 COP 4,742

28.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 NZ$5.42

$2.17 COP 6,891

41.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 NZ$5.84

$2.31 COP 7,310

42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 NZ$3.21

$1.93 COP 6,113

-6.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 NZ$1.85

$1.64 COP 5,196

-35.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 NZ$2.56

$1.13 COP 3,571

28.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 NZ$1.60

$1.25 COP 3,954

-27.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.62 NZ$31.16

$3.99 COP 12.6K

341.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.08 NZ$16.06

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-31.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.02 NZ$7.11

$1.70 COP 5,384

136.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 NZ$5.14

$2.37 COP 7,525

22.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 NZ$4.79

$1.21 COP 3,827

123.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.8 NZ$145

$76.5 COP 242.5K

6.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 NZ$6.46

$1.32 COP 4,179

176.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.75 NZ$4.87

$2.14 COP 6,774

28.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.32 NZ$58.9

$8.47 COP 26.8K

293.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 NZ$2.82

$1.30 COP 4,114

23.08%

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

$27.0K NZ$47.7K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-3.70%

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

$22.7K NZ$40.1K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-36.03%

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

$190 NZ$335

$172 COP 545.6K

10.21%

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

$36.05 NZ$63.8

$13.37 COP 42.4K

169.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 NZ$105

$28.73 COP 91.1K

107.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.98 NZ$49.48

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-38.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$9.93 NZ$17.55

$6.28 COP 19.9K

58.12%

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

$679 NZ$1,200

$770 COP 2.4M

-11.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K NZ$38.9K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

143.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.05 NZ$81.4

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-46.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.74 NZ$66.7

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-33.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 NZ$168

$137 COP 432.9K

-30.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 NZ$161

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-7.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$806 NZ$1,426

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-23.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$703 NZ$1,243

$616 COP 2.0M

14.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 NZ$2,687

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-19.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,129 NZ$1,997

$1,023 COP 3.2M

10.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,051 NZ$8,933

$4,059 COP 12.9M

24.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,061 NZ$5,414

$1,678 COP 5.3M

82.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,589 NZ$2,810

$652 COP 2.1M

143.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.83

10.94

-37.57%

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

Last update for Hastings: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hastings

$703 40.6%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 12.4% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hastings

$285 16.5%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 24.9% $71

Groceries & Markets

Hastings

$266 15.4%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 10.9% $29

Eating Out

Hastings

$198 11.4%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 14.9% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Hastings

$121 7%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 40.3% $49

Getting Around

Hastings

$110 6.4%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 15.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Hastings

$48 2.8%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 20.9% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $806 in Hastings versus $1,055 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 144% higher in Hastings, 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 $56.0 in Hastings versus $46.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Hastings vs $295 in Medellin – so Hastings wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Hastings

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

09:24 9:24 AM

15:24 3:24 PM

18 h behind Hastings

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,100

2,486,723

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Hastings Medellin 11,950 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Hastings
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

Hastings vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hastings costs about 7% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,596 per month in Hastings and $2,421 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Hastings – 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 $56.0 in Hastings and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Hastings at $1,731. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hastings it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,614 versus $1,731 in Hastings. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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