Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Auckland Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Auckland

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $2,481 in Auckland.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $3,466 in Auckland.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $4,452 in Auckland.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 32% less than in Auckland, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 23% above, Auckland 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$14.43 NZ$25.22

-44.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$68.3 NZ$119

-29.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$9.81 NZ$17.16

0.82%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.51 NZ$6.14

-10.83%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$2.09 NZ$3.66

-8.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$1.82 NZ$3.19

-17.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$7.25 NZ$12.68

-56.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$6.87 NZ$12.00

-16.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.92 NZ$3.36

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$2.27 NZ$3.97

9.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.95 NZ$3.41

-9.23%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$6.48 NZ$11.34

-54.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$9.03 NZ$15.79

11.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$10.13 NZ$17.71

-0.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$17.55 NZ$30.69

-18.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$3.02 NZ$5.29

37.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$2.17 NZ$3.80

-25.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$2.94 NZ$5.15

-23.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$5.38 NZ$9.40

-58.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$2.18 NZ$3.80

-6.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.68 NZ$2.93

-8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$2.03 NZ$3.54

-42.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.09 NZ$1.91

20.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$28.88 NZ$50.5

-86.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$10.33 NZ$18.06

35.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$2.92 NZ$5.10

-40.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$3.49 NZ$6.10

-17.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$2.56 NZ$4.47

-52.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$124 NZ$216

-34.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$2.37 NZ$4.15

-44.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.97 NZ$3.45

11.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$32.89 NZ$57.5

-73.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.84 NZ$3.21

-25.54%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$26.1K NZ$45.6K

6.76%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$22.5K NZ$39.3K

59.11%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$186 NZ$325

-4.56%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$27.70 NZ$48.43

-49.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$51.8 NZ$90.5

-42.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$43.04 NZ$75.2

4.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$18.37 NZ$32.11

-6.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$13.18 NZ$23.04

-49.54%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$1,149 NZ$2,009

-29.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$19.7K NZ$34.5K

-53.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$79.8 NZ$140

12.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$41.92 NZ$73.3

40.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$89.4 NZ$156

54.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$112 NZ$196

-8.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$1,310 NZ$2,290

-18.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$1,230 NZ$2,150

-46.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$2,242 NZ$3,919

-15.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$1,804 NZ$3,155

-43.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$7,436 NZ$13.0K

-43.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$5,601 NZ$9,792

-70.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$3,040 NZ$5,314

-77.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.4

102.59%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Auckland: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $1,310 in Auckland. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Auckland pays 349% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $68.0 in Auckland for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $346 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Medellin vs Auckland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Auckland. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 349% lower in Auckland. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $1,310 in Auckland. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $1,149 in Auckland. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Auckland. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,681 in Medellin versus $2,481 in Auckland, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Auckland. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,681 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Auckland are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Auckland. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.