Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Avarua

For one person, living costs are similar in Medellin and in Avarua: $1,639 and $1,638 a month, rent and utilities included.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Avarua

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

$1,638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Avarua

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Avarua actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,638 in Avarua, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Avarua $1,638

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,652 in Avarua, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Avarua $1,652

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,666 in Avarua, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Avarua $1,666

Medellin and Avarua have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$11.47 NZ$20.19

-29.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$57.6 NZ$101

-18.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$8.47 NZ$14.91

12.16%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$3.16 NZ$5.57

-4.75%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$2.24 NZ$3.95

-19.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$2.30 NZ$4.05

-38.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$5.61 NZ$9.88

-43.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.20 NZ$7.39

36.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.66 NZ$2.92

-9.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$3.33 NZ$5.86

-28.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.68 NZ$2.96

5.36%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$4.76 NZ$8.38

-39.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$11.58 NZ$20.38

-12.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$7.88 NZ$13.87

25.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$10.39 NZ$18.29

34.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$2.81 NZ$4.95

41.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.68 NZ$2.96

-7.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$3.50 NZ$6.16

-37.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$9.14 NZ$16.08

-76.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$2.82 NZ$4.96

-30.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$2.21 NZ$3.88

-28.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$2.23 NZ$3.93

-48.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$2.91 NZ$5.12

-57.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$14.24 NZ$25.06

-3.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,222

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,104

$4.18 NZ$7.35

-45.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$2.82 NZ$4.96

-58.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$2.19 NZ$3.85

-38.36%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$112 NZ$197

51.65%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

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

$797 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$968 NZ$1,703

24.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$947 NZ$1,666

-32.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$115 NZ$202

1665.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$944 NZ$1,662

102.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Avarua: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Avarua

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Avarua

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Avarua

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Avarua

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Avarua

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Avarua

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Avarua

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $968 in Avarua. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $58 in Avarua. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $358 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇰 Avarua

🕒 Local time

10:22 10:22 AM

05:22 5:22 AM

5 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

5,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1 NZD = 0.568 USD

1 NZD = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.76 NZD (1 NZD = 0.568 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 NZD (1 NZD = 0.511 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Avarua 9,660 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Avarua

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

Medellin vs Avarua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,457 in Avarua. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Avarua, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $968 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Interestingly, groceries are about 17% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $58 in Avarua. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,638 in Avarua, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,638 in Avarua to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.