Cost of Living Comparison Between Hastings and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Hastings and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,421 per month in Hastings vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,292 per month in Hastings vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,162 per month in Hastings vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Hastings costs about 37% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Hastings sits 6% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.12 NZ$20.60

$5.92 COP 21.5K

104.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.7 NZ$142

$32.75 COP 119.1K

155.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 NZ$16.17

$7.20 COP 26.2K

32.08%

Cappuccino

$3.41 NZ$5.80

$1.70 COP 6,186

100.59%

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

$1.85 NZ$3.15

$1.10 COP 3,996

68.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 NZ$3.49

$0.72 COP 2,625

184.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 NZ$10.02

$1.67 COP 6,067

252.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.28 NZ$12.37

$3.10 COP 11.3K

134.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.23

$1.06 COP 3,837

79.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 NZ$3.47

$1.25 COP 4,531

63.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 NZ$3.30

$1.39 COP 5,060

39.57%

Eggs

$6.16 NZ$10.47

$2.26 COP 8,229

172.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.02 NZ$13.64

$4.33 COP 15.8K

85.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.16 NZ$18.98

$5.84 COP 21.2K

91.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.63 NZ$21.48

$8.83 COP 32.1K

43.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 NZ$4.86

$2.24 COP 8,159

27.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 NZ$3.62

$1.08 COP 3,911

97.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 NZ$5.12

$1.53 COP 5,563

96.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 NZ$8.16

$1.37 COP 4,987

250.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.18

$1.13 COP 4,109

65.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 NZ$2.50

$1.12 COP 4,067

31.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 NZ$3.70

$0.85 COP 3,080

155.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 NZ$1.66

$0.91 COP 3,305

6.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.89 NZ$37.21

$2.33 COP 8,477

839.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.69 NZ$16.48

$11.13 COP 40.5K

-12.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.72 NZ$6.32

$1.19 COP 4,342

212.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 NZ$4.83

$2.37 COP 8,617

19.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.50 NZ$4.26

$0.79 COP 2,859

216.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.4 NZ$104

$41.13 COP 149.6K

49.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 NZ$4.73

$1.44 COP 5,223

93.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NZ$3.12

$1.91 COP 6,952

-3.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.1 NZ$102

$8.02 COP 29.2K

648.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 NZ$2.83

$0.94 COP 3,410

77.66%

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

$31.0K NZ$52.6K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

72.77%

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

$20.7K NZ$35.3K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-22.58%

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

$155 NZ$264

$84.0 COP 305.4K

85.08%

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

$32.96 NZ$56.0

$9.60 COP 34.9K

243.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 NZ$88.0

$24.16 COP 87.9K

114.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.54 NZ$62.1

$25.88 COP 94.1K

41.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.09 NZ$20.55

$19.04 COP 69.3K

-36.50%

Cinema Ticket

$10.88 NZ$18.50

$3.92 COP 14.2K

177.55%

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

$806 NZ$1,371

$306 COP 1.1M

163.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K NZ$21.6K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

114.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 NZ$107

$57.9 COP 210.6K

8.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 NZ$90.4

$31.82 COP 115.7K

67.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 NZ$197

$99.9 COP 363.3K

16.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 NZ$229

$107 COP 389.7K

25.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$395 NZ$672

$487 COP 1.8M

-18.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 NZ$594

$368 COP 1.3M

-5.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 NZ$1,771

$826 COP 3.0M

26.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 NZ$995

$716 COP 2.6M

-18.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,157 NZ$3,667

$546 COP 2.0M

295.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.94

13.43

-48.32%

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

Last update for Hastings: April 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $395 in Hastings versus $487 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 295% 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 $84.0 in Hastings versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $190 – 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

Hastings vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hastings costs about 37% more than Medellin, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,131 per month in Hastings and $1,550 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 71% more in Hastings, 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 $84.0 in Hastings 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 $1,034, than in Hastings at $1,421. 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 $1,034 versus $1,421 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.