Cost of Living Comparison Between Invercargill and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Invercargill and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,573 per month in Invercargill vs $1,028 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,446 per month in Invercargill vs $1,586 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,318 per month in Invercargill vs $2,144 in Medellin, rent included.

Invercargill costs about 53% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Invercargill sits 18% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.98 NZ$20.55

$6.00 COP 20.6K

99.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.6 NZ$124

$32.84 COP 112.5K

121.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.58 NZ$14.71

$7.42 COP 25.4K

15.63%

Cappuccino

$3.47 NZ$5.95

$1.65 COP 5,659

110.30%

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

$1.76 NZ$3.01

$1.07 COP 3,663

64.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 NZ$2.46

$0.76 COP 2,607

89.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.99 NZ$10.27

$1.72 COP 5,908

248.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 NZ$8.20

$3.20 COP 11.0K

49.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 NZ$2.50

$1.05 COP 3,597

39.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 NZ$3.13

$1.31 COP 4,479

39.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 NZ$2.94

$1.34 COP 4,591

27.61%

Eggs

$5.70 NZ$9.77

$2.19 COP 7,521

160.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 NZ$13.91

$4.41 COP 15.1K

83.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.17 NZ$15.73

$5.69 COP 19.5K

61.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.67 NZ$23.43

$8.52 COP 29.2K

60.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 NZ$4.67

$2.34 COP 8,023

16.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 NZ$4.04

$1.11 COP 3,804

112.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 NZ$4.44

$1.52 COP 5,210

70.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 NZ$6.32

$1.37 COP 4,680

168.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 NZ$3.27

$1.15 COP 3,950

66.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 NZ$3.05

$1.18 COP 4,043

50.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 NZ$4.36

$0.84 COP 2,885

202.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 NZ$1.91

$0.86 COP 2,931

29.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.53 NZ$38.63

$2.26 COP 7,753

896.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.48 NZ$14.54

$11.60 COP 39.8K

-26.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.05 NZ$6.94

$1.20 COP 4,109

237.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 NZ$6.36

$2.48 COP 8,484

49.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 NZ$2.66

$0.79 COP 2,721

96.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.8 NZ$109

$40.83 COP 139.9K

56.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 NZ$4.17

$1.47 COP 5,023

65.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 NZ$3.28

$1.92 COP 6,568

-0.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.39 NZ$52.1

$7.77 COP 26.6K

291.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 NZ$2.92

$1.01 COP 3,464

68.32%

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

$25.3K NZ$43.4K

$17.7K COP 60.5M

43.25%

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

$19.9K NZ$34.1K

$26.5K COP 90.7M

-24.82%

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

$103 NZ$176

$81.1 COP 277.9K

26.78%

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

$36.03 NZ$61.8

$9.43 COP 32.3K

282.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.6 NZ$86.8

$23.86 COP 81.8K

112.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.14 NZ$49.97

$25.99 COP 89.1K

12.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.98 NZ$20.54

$18.71 COP 64.1K

-35.97%

Cinema Ticket

$9.47 NZ$16.24

$4.09 COP 14.0K

131.54%

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

$595 NZ$1,020

$315 COP 1.1M

89.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NZ$20.8K

$6,022 COP 20.6M

101.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.5 NZ$116

$59.7 COP 204.6K

13.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.69 NZ$61.2

$31.97 COP 109.6K

11.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 NZ$142

$101 COP 346.9K

-18.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.0 NZ$146

$105 COP 360.3K

-19.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 NZ$1,120

$485 COP 1.7M

34.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$592 NZ$1,015

$365 COP 1.3M

62.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$868 NZ$1,488

$827 COP 2.8M

4.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 NZ$1,818

$730 COP 2.5M

45.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,432 NZ$7,599

$2,992 COP 10.3M

48.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,432 NZ$5,884

$1,314 COP 4.5M

161.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,113 NZ$5,338

$551 COP 1.9M

465.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.87

13.43

-48.85%

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

Last update for Invercargill: June 16, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $653 in Invercargill versus $485 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 465% higher in Invercargill, 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 $73.0 in Invercargill versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $308 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

Invercargill vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Invercargill costs about 53% 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 $2,359 per month in Invercargill and $1,542 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 62% more in Invercargill, 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 $73.0 in Invercargill 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 $1,028, than in Invercargill at $1,573. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Invercargill it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,028 versus $1,573 in Invercargill. 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, Invercargill makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.