Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Invercargill and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Invercargill: $1,412 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Invercargill
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Invercargill Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Invercargill

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,412

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,412 per month in Invercargill vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Invercargill $1,412
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $2,099 per month in Invercargill vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Invercargill $2,099
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $2,785 per month in Invercargill vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Invercargill $2,785
Medellin $3,190

Invercargill is about 13% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Invercargill and Medellin sit above the global median – Invercargill by 5%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 NZ$24.83

$7.93 COP 25.2K

77.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 NZ$108

$46.13 COP 146.3K

32.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.32 NZ$14.71

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-12.42%

Cappuccino

$3.12 NZ$5.52

$3.11 COP 9,866

0.32%

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

$1.65 NZ$2.92

$1.83 COP 5,800

-9.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 NZ$3.60

$1.38 COP 4,360

47.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 NZ$4.85

$3.05 COP 9,672

-10.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 NZ$4.85

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-50.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 NZ$2.96

$1.45 COP 4,600

15.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 NZ$3.27

$2.36 COP 7,496

-21.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 NZ$3.11

$1.68 COP 5,328

4.76%

Eggs

$5.58 NZ$9.87

$2.86 COP 9,077

95.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 NZ$14.55

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-19.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 NZ$15.61

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-7.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.12 NZ$21.44

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-13.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 NZ$4.50

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-37.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 NZ$4.17

$1.50 COP 4,742

57.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 NZ$4.70

$2.17 COP 6,891

22.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.52 NZ$6.23

$2.31 COP 7,310

52.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 NZ$5.68

$1.93 COP 6,113

66.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 NZ$2.85

$1.64 COP 5,196

-1.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 NZ$4.13

$1.13 COP 3,571

106.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 NZ$1.84

$1.25 COP 3,954

-16.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.39 NZ$36.06

$3.99 COP 12.6K

411.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.56 NZ$15.14

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-35.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 NZ$5.06

$1.70 COP 5,384

68.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 NZ$5.99

$2.37 COP 7,525

43.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 NZ$2.49

$1.21 COP 3,827

16.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.27 NZ$4.01

$1.32 COP 4,179

71.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 NZ$3.42

$2.14 COP 6,774

-9.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.73 NZ$49.04

$8.47 COP 26.8K

227.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 NZ$2.81

$1.30 COP 4,114

22.31%

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

$23.8K NZ$42.1K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-14.97%

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

$18.2K NZ$32.3K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-48.49%

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

$109 NZ$192

$172 COP 545.6K

-36.82%

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

$32.30 NZ$57.1

$13.37 COP 42.4K

141.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.46 NZ$75.1

$28.73 COP 91.1K

47.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.87 NZ$49.29

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-38.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.77 NZ$24.34

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-19.19%

Cinema Ticket

$8.82 NZ$15.60

$6.28 COP 19.9K

40.45%

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

$589 NZ$1,042

$770 COP 2.4M

-23.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 NZ$102

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-33.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 NZ$62.0

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-38.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.0 NZ$124

$137 COP 432.9K

-48.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 NZ$140

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-19.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$594 NZ$1,050

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-43.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 NZ$974

$616 COP 2.0M

-10.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 NZ$1,470

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-56.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$764 NZ$1,350

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-25.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,482 NZ$9,695

$4,059 COP 12.9M

35.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,034 NZ$8,902

$1,678 COP 5.3M

199.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,729 NZ$4,826

$652 COP 2.1M

318.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

10.94

-38.57%

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

Last update for Invercargill: 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

Invercargill

$551 39%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 11.8% $65

Groceries & Markets

Invercargill

$298 21.1%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 1.1% $3.1

Eating Out

Invercargill

$209 14.8%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 19.3% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Invercargill

$183 13%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 16.7% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Invercargill

$109 7.7%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 56.6% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Invercargill

$46 3.2%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 27% $12

Getting Around

Invercargill

$18 * 1.2%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 431% $76

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $594 in Invercargill 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 318% higher in Invercargill, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Invercargill versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Invercargill

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

09:00 9:00 AM

15:00 3:00 PM

18 h behind Invercargill

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,200

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Invercargill Medellin 12,490 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Invercargill
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

Invercargill vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 14% more than Invercargill, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,119 per month in Invercargill 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 Invercargill, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,412 in Invercargill and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 14%.

Kindergarten costs $589 per month in Invercargill and $770 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Invercargill, where all-in costs run around $1,412, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Invercargill it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Invercargill costs $1,412 versus $1,614 in Medellin. 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 Invercargill. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.