Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hamilton Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hamilton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,659 in Hamilton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $2,757 in Hamilton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $3,856 in Hamilton.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 1% less than in Hamilton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 19% above, Hamilton 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$12.43 NZ$21.38

-35.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$76.5 NZ$132

-36.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$8.80 NZ$15.12

7.05%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.58 NZ$6.16

-17.88%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$2.37 NZ$4.07

-21.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$2.55 NZ$4.38

-42.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$6.35 NZ$10.92

-49.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$5.97 NZ$10.27

-4.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.49 NZ$2.56

-3.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.34 NZ$2.30

79.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.99 NZ$3.42

-14.57%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$5.64 NZ$9.70

-48.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$6.03 NZ$10.36

66.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$7.78 NZ$13.38

28.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$12.65 NZ$21.75

12.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.71 NZ$4.67

46.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$2.29 NZ$3.94

-31.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$3.36 NZ$5.77

-36.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$6.50 NZ$11.17

-64.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$2.05 NZ$3.52

-2.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.43 NZ$2.47

5.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$2.06 NZ$3.55

-41.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$1.11 NZ$1.90

15.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$26.52 NZ$45.59

-85.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$11.34 NZ$19.50

23.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$4.04 NZ$6.94

-57.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$4.35 NZ$7.48

-37.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$1.72 NZ$2.96

-27.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$42.68 NZ$73.4

82.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$3.72 NZ$6.40

-64.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.67 NZ$2.87

-18.56%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$28.5K NZ$48.9K

-3.47%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$24.3K NZ$41.8K

50.31%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$60.7 NZ$104

178.05%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$37.57 NZ$64.6

-63.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$57.7 NZ$99.1

-50.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$26.07 NZ$44.82

75.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$29.02 NZ$49.89

-40.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$14.53 NZ$24.98

-54.23%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$693 NZ$1,191

15.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$23.4K NZ$40.2K

-60.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$64.9 NZ$112

34.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$40.18 NZ$69.1

47.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$99.0 NZ$170

40.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$110 NZ$189

-7.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$867 NZ$1,490

23.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$687 NZ$1,181

-4.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,510 NZ$2,597

27.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$1,575 NZ$2,707

-33.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$4,087 NZ$7,026

0.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$4,728 NZ$8,128

-64.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$2,775 NZ$4,771

-76.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.83

60.18%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $867 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 324% 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 $77.0 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $309 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 Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 324% lower in Hamilton. 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $867 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $77.0 in Hamilton. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $1,659 in Hamilton – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,659 in Hamilton, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hamilton, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Hamilton 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 1% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.