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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,522 per month in Invercargill vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Invercargill vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,372 per month in Invercargill vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Invercargill costs about 47% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Invercargill sits 14% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.05 NZ$20.60

$5.92 COP 21.4K

103.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.2 NZ$123

$32.75 COP 118.2K

120.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.32 NZ$14.23

$7.20 COP 26.0K

15.56%

Cappuccino

$3.40 NZ$5.81

$1.70 COP 6,140

100.00%

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

$1.75 NZ$3.00

$1.10 COP 3,966

59.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 NZ$2.55

$0.72 COP 2,605

106.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.06 NZ$10.35

$1.67 COP 6,022

262.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.77 NZ$8.15

$3.10 COP 11.2K

53.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 NZ$2.59

$1.06 COP 3,809

42.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 NZ$3.09

$1.25 COP 4,497

44.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 NZ$2.96

$1.39 COP 5,022

24.46%

Eggs

$5.48 NZ$9.38

$2.26 COP 8,168

142.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.46 NZ$14.46

$4.33 COP 15.6K

95.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.27 NZ$15.85

$5.84 COP 21.1K

58.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 NZ$22.54

$8.83 COP 31.9K

49.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 NZ$4.86

$2.24 COP 8,099

26.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 NZ$3.87

$1.08 COP 3,882

109.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 NZ$4.36

$1.53 COP 5,522

66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 NZ$6.44

$1.37 COP 4,950

175.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 NZ$3.26

$1.13 COP 4,078

68.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 NZ$3.04

$1.12 COP 4,036

58.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 NZ$4.18

$0.85 COP 3,057

187.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 NZ$1.90

$0.91 COP 3,281

21.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.32 NZ$38.16

$2.33 COP 8,414

857.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 NZ$15.42

$11.13 COP 40.2K

-18.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.07 NZ$6.97

$1.19 COP 4,309

242.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 NZ$6.22

$2.37 COP 8,553

53.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 NZ$2.62

$0.79 COP 2,838

93.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 NZ$110

$41.13 COP 148.5K

56.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 NZ$4.19

$1.44 COP 5,184

70.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 NZ$3.31

$1.91 COP 6,901

1.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.05 NZ$51.4

$8.02 COP 28.9K

274.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 NZ$2.79

$0.94 COP 3,385

73.40%

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

$25.9K NZ$44.3K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

44.65%

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

$20.1K NZ$34.4K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

-25.00%

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

$102 NZ$175

$84.0 COP 303.1K

22.00%

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

$35.57 NZ$60.8

$9.60 COP 34.7K

270.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 NZ$85.5

$24.16 COP 87.2K

107.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.52 NZ$50.5

$25.88 COP 93.4K

14.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.18 NZ$20.82

$19.04 COP 68.7K

-36.03%

Cinema Ticket

$9.55 NZ$16.33

$3.92 COP 14.1K

143.62%

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

$594 NZ$1,016

$306 COP 1.1M

93.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K NZ$20.3K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

100.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.0 NZ$113

$57.9 COP 209.1K

13.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.63 NZ$59.2

$31.82 COP 114.9K

8.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 NZ$142

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-16.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 NZ$145

$107 COP 386.8K

-21.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$633 NZ$1,083

$487 COP 1.8M

30.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$582 NZ$995

$368 COP 1.3M

58.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$872 NZ$1,491

$826 COP 3.0M

5.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 NZ$1,791

$716 COP 2.6M

46.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,021 NZ$8,586

$2,925 COP 10.6M

71.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,531 NZ$6,038

$1,407 COP 5.1M

150.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,099 NZ$5,299

$546 COP 2.0M

468.08%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $633 in Invercargill 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 468% 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 $72.0 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 47% 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 $2,282 per month in Invercargill 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 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 $72.0 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 $1,034, than in Invercargill at $1,522. 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 $1,034 versus $1,522 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.