Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cromwell

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,011 in Cromwell, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Cromwell
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Cromwell Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Cromwell

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,011

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Cromwell

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 Cromwell actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $2,011 in Cromwell.

Medellin $1,639
Cromwell $2,011

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $2,881 in Cromwell.

Medellin $2,413
Cromwell $2,881

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $3,751 in Cromwell.

Medellin $3,186
Cromwell $3,751

Living in Medellin costs roughly 18% less than in Cromwell, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Cromwell 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$14.42 NZ$25.61

-43.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$62.5 NZ$111

-24.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$11.51 NZ$20.43

-17.46%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$3.26 NZ$5.79

-7.67%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$2.15 NZ$3.81

-16.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$2.05 NZ$3.65

-31.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$6.68 NZ$11.86

-52.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$6.29 NZ$11.16

-8.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$2.11 NZ$3.75

-28.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$1.94 NZ$3.45

22.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$1.69 NZ$3.01

4.73%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$5.81 NZ$10.31

-50.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$8.65 NZ$15.36

17.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$9.37 NZ$16.64

5.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$16.61 NZ$29.48

-15.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.07 NZ$5.45

29.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$2.32 NZ$4.12

-33.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$3.18 NZ$5.64

-31.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$5.02 NZ$8.91

-56.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$1.85 NZ$3.29

5.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$1.81 NZ$3.21

-12.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$2.28 NZ$4.05

-49.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.60 NZ$1.06

106.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$21.12 NZ$37.50

-81.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$8.94 NZ$15.87

53.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$3.15 NZ$5.59

-47.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$1.21 NZ$2.15

86.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$1.88 NZ$3.33

-37.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$93.3 NZ$166

-17.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$2.22 NZ$3.94

-42.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$2.09 NZ$3.71

-1.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$28.85 NZ$51.2

-70.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$1.83 NZ$3.25

-26.23%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$28.2K NZ$50.0K

20.92%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$22.8K NZ$40.5K

52.07%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$110 NZ$195

54.12%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$28.58 NZ$50.7

-52.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$52.9 NZ$93.9

-46.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$39.41 NZ$70.0

10.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$7.00 NZ$12.43

145.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$8.35 NZ$14.82

-17.25%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$796 NZ$1,413

0.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$12.4K NZ$22.1K

-26.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$59.8 NZ$106

41.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$35.97 NZ$63.9

61.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$90.7 NZ$161

48.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$134 NZ$237

-26.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,013 NZ$1,798

19.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$932 NZ$1,655

-31.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,638 NZ$2,908

23.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,292 NZ$2,293

-21.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$4,771 NZ$8,470

-12.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$3,354 NZ$5,955

-43.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$3,034 NZ$5,387

-78.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.6

65.76%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cromwell: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Cromwell

$932 46.4% 45.3% $291

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Cromwell

$322 16% 8.3% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Cromwell

$192 9.5% 9.3% $20

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Cromwell

$252 12.5% 48.5% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Cromwell

$144 7.2% 14.8% $25

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Cromwell

$113 5.6% 21.3% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Cromwell

$56 2.8% 2.5% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $1,013 in Cromwell. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cromwell pays about 4.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $63 in Cromwell for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $322 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇳🇿 Cromwell

🕒 Local time

15:34 3:34 PM

09:34 9:34 AM

18 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

5,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 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 31, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Cromwell 12,470 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Cromwell

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 Cromwell: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is about 18% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 78% lower in Medellin. 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,013 in Cromwell. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Cromwell. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47 versus $63 in Cromwell. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Medellin gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Medellin wins on affordability, Cromwell on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.