Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manukau and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,914 in Manukau, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Manukau, New Zealand
Medellin, Colombia
Manukau
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$1,914
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,914 per month in Manukau vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Manukau $1,914
  • Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $2,853 per month in Manukau vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Manukau $2,853
  • Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $3,792 per month in Manukau vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Manukau $3,792
  • Medellin $3,186

Manukau costs about 17% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Manukau and Medellin sit above the global median – Manukau by 41%, Medellin by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Manukau
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.06 NZ$21.42
$8.09 COP 26.1K
49.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.0 NZ$121
$47.05 COP 151.7K
44.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.28 NZ$14.71
$9.50 COP 30.6K
-12.84%
Cappuccino
$3.48 NZ$6.19
$3.01 COP 9,722
15.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 NZ$3.63
$1.80 COP 5,801
13.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 NZ$3.08
$1.41 COP 4,554
23.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.22 NZ$11.05
$3.18 COP 10.2K
95.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.62 NZ$9.98
$5.75 COP 18.5K
-2.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Manukau
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 NZ$2.56
$1.51 COP 4,869
-4.64%
White Bread (500g)
$1.30 NZ$2.31
$2.38 COP 7,667
-45.38%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.90 NZ$3.37
$1.77 COP 5,712
7.34%
Eggs
$5.26 NZ$9.34
$2.89 COP 9,320
82.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.52 NZ$9.80
$10.19 COP 32.9K
-45.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.46 NZ$13.24
$9.87 COP 31.8K
-24.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.96 NZ$21.23
$13.99 COP 45.1K
-14.51%
Apples (1kg)
$2.57 NZ$4.55
$3.97 COP 12.8K
-35.26%
Banana (1kg)
$2.16 NZ$3.84
$1.55 COP 5,005
39.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.97 NZ$5.27
$2.18 COP 7,039
36.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.72 NZ$10.16
$2.18 COP 7,041
162.39%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 NZ$3.70
$1.96 COP 6,328
6.63%
Onion (1kg)
$1.43 NZ$2.55
$1.59 COP 5,125
-10.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.01 NZ$3.57
$1.15 COP 3,694
74.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.91 NZ$1.62
$1.24 COP 4,009
-26.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$25.51 NZ$45.30
$3.96 COP 12.8K
544.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.51 NZ$18.65
$13.68 COP 44.1K
-23.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.84 NZ$5.04
$1.66 COP 5,352
71.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32 NZ$5.90
$2.26 COP 7,281
46.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Manukau
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.85 NZ$3.29
$1.17 COP 3,766
58.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$111 NZ$197
$77.4 COP 249.5K
43.70%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.28 NZ$4.05
$1.27 COP 4,089
79.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.94 NZ$3.45
$2.05 COP 6,603
-5.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.50 NZ$57.7
$8.55 COP 27.6K
280.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.72 NZ$3.06
$1.35 COP 4,343
27.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.3K NZ$48.4K
$34.1K COP 109.8M
-19.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.8K NZ$38.8K
$34.7K COP 111.8M
-37.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Manukau
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$58.0 NZ$103
$170 COP 547.0K
-65.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.67 NZ$47.35
$13.55 COP 43.7K
96.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.8 NZ$90.3
$28.07 COP 90.5K
81.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Manukau
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.35 NZ$77.0
$43.70 COP 140.9K
-0.80%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.19 COP 55.4K
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.35 NZ$21.92
$6.91 COP 22.3K
78.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Manukau
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$687 NZ$1,220
$797 COP 2.6M
-13.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.5K NZ$34.5K
$9,112 COP 29.4M
113.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Manukau
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.3 NZ$111
$84.7 COP 273.2K
-26.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.79 NZ$68.9
$58.0 COP 186.9K
-33.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.4 NZ$164
$135 COP 435.2K
-31.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 NZ$198
$97.9 COP 315.6K
14.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Manukau
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,036 NZ$1,840
$1,208 COP 3.9M
-14.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$940 NZ$1,669
$642 COP 2.1M
46.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,640 NZ$2,912
$2,028 COP 6.5M
-19.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,494 NZ$2,653
$1,012 COP 3.3M
47.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,976 NZ$8,834
$4,170 COP 13.4M
19.32%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,073 NZ$5,457
$1,910 COP 6.2M
60.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Manukau
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,825 NZ$3,239
$657 COP 2.1M
177.65%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.9
10.94
-46.07%

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

Last update for Manukau: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Manukau
$940
Medellin
$642 31.8% $299
Groceries & Markets
Manukau
$282
Medellin
$297 5.3% $15
Eating Out
Manukau
$221
Medellin
$170 23.1% $51
Clothing & Footwear
Manukau
$137
Medellin
$169 23.1% $32
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Manukau
$136
Medellin
$211 55.9% $76
Getting Around
Manukau
$131
Medellin
$94 28.4% $37
Sport & Entertainment
Manukau
$68
Medellin
$58 15.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,036 in Manukau versus $1,208 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 in Manukau are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Manukau versus $47 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $282 in Manukau vs $297 in Medellin – so Manukau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇳🇿 Manukau
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
18:41 6:41 PM
00:41 12:41 AM
18 h behind Manukau
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
362,000
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Manukau Medellin 12,170 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Manukau
  • 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
Manukau vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Manukau and in Medellin compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,914 in Manukau, $1,639 in Medellin – Medellin comes out roughly 14% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Manukau compared to Medellin?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,871 per month in Manukau and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Manukau and Medellin?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Manukau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,036 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Manukau – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Manukau and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How far does $2,500 go in Manukau compared to Medellin?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,914 in Manukau and $1,639 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Manukau and Medellin?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $1,914 in Manukau. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Manukau and Medellin?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Manukau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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