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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,302 in Auckland.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $3,464 in Auckland.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $4,626 in Auckland.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 56% less than in Auckland, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 24% below, Auckland is 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.3K

$14.83 NZ$25.26

-59.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 116.9K

$77.6 NZ$132

-57.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.2K

$9.55 NZ$16.27

-25.76%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,093

$3.50 NZ$5.97

-51.14%

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

$1.10 COP 3,910

$2.28 NZ$3.88

-51.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,771

$2.27 NZ$3.87

-65.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,976

$7.42 NZ$12.63

-77.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$7.06 NZ$12.03

-56.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,892

$1.80 NZ$3.07

-39.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,492

$2.10 NZ$3.58

-40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,905

$1.99 NZ$3.39

-30.65%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,799

$6.74 NZ$11.48

-67.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$8.44 NZ$14.38

-47.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.0K

$9.82 NZ$16.73

-42.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.6K

$12.92 NZ$22.01

-31.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,319

$2.91 NZ$4.96

-19.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,764

$2.22 NZ$3.79

-52.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,355

$3.22 NZ$5.49

-53.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,906

$4.11 NZ$7.00

-66.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,097

$2.09 NZ$3.55

-44.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,141

$1.63 NZ$2.78

-28.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,170

$1.90 NZ$3.24

-53.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,986

$1.29 NZ$2.19

-34.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,116

$25.66 NZ$43.70

-91.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$9.98 NZ$17.00

6.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,268

$2.94 NZ$5.01

-59.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,793

$3.98 NZ$6.79

-37.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,045

$2.75 NZ$4.68

-68.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.3K

$131 NZ$223

-68.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,245

$2.09 NZ$3.56

-29.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,984

$1.95 NZ$3.32

0.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.5K

$35.65 NZ$60.7

-78.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,397

$1.69 NZ$2.88

-43.79%

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

$18.1K COP 64.5M

$28.4K NZ$48.3K

-36.10%

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

$26.5K COP 94.2M

$22.2K NZ$37.8K

19.35%

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

$82.3 COP 292.7K

$146 NZ$249

-43.71%

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

$9.50 COP 33.8K

$30.66 NZ$52.2

-69.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.2K

$48.24 NZ$82.2

-49.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.1K

$36.08 NZ$61.5

-28.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.6K

$16.60 NZ$28.28

14.46%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$15.28 NZ$26.02

-74.28%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$922 NZ$1,571

-66.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.2M

$13.6K NZ$23.2K

-56.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 208.7K

$70.8 NZ$121

-17.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.1K

$49.43 NZ$84.2

-34.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.1K

$96.7 NZ$165

6.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 385.8K

$124 NZ$211

-12.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$1,264 NZ$2,154

-62.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$1,158 NZ$1,972

-67.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$2,413 NZ$4,110

-65.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$1,862 NZ$3,171

-61.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$8,096 NZ$13.8K

-65.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$5,456 NZ$9,293

-77.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$3,260 NZ$5,553

-84.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

6.37

110.83%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Auckland: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $1,264 in Auckland. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Auckland pays 537% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $78.0 in Auckland for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $324 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 127% 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, Auckland earns 537% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $1,264 in Auckland. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $922 in Auckland. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Auckland. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,302 in Auckland, a $1,500 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 $1,013 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 127% less than in Auckland. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.