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: $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,869 in Hamilton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $2,967 in Hamilton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $4,066 in Hamilton.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 45% less than in Hamilton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% below, Hamilton is 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.5K

$13.89 NZ$23.61

-57.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 119.1K

$85.0 NZ$145

-61.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.2K

$8.86 NZ$15.07

-18.74%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,186

$3.69 NZ$6.27

-53.93%

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

$1.10 COP 3,996

$2.41 NZ$4.10

-54.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,625

$2.88 NZ$4.90

-75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,067

$6.73 NZ$11.43

-75.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.3K

$5.99 NZ$10.19

-48.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,837

$1.60 NZ$2.71

-33.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,531

$1.30 NZ$2.22

-3.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,060

$1.94 NZ$3.29

-28.35%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,229

$6.04 NZ$10.27

-62.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.8K

$5.65 NZ$9.61

-23.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.2K

$8.19 NZ$13.92

-28.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 32.1K

$11.21 NZ$19.05

-21.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,159

$2.68 NZ$4.56

-16.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,911

$2.96 NZ$5.03

-63.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,563

$3.05 NZ$5.18

-49.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,987

$6.49 NZ$11.03

-78.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,109

$2.26 NZ$3.84

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,067

$1.91 NZ$3.24

-41.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,080

$2.72 NZ$4.62

-68.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,305

$1.03 NZ$1.76

-11.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,477

$25.68 NZ$43.66

-90.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.5K

$11.20 NZ$19.04

-0.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,342

$3.46 NZ$5.87

-65.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,617

$4.42 NZ$7.51

-46.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,859

$1.63 NZ$2.77

-51.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

$47.48 NZ$80.7

-13.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,223

$4.25 NZ$7.23

-66.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,952

$1.98 NZ$3.37

-3.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 29.2K

$42.54 NZ$72.3

-81.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,410

$1.72 NZ$2.92

-45.35%

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

$17.9K COP 65.2M

$23.4K NZ$39.8K

-23.38%

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

$26.8K COP 97.4M

$22.6K NZ$38.4K

18.62%

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

$84.0 COP 305.4K

$93.9 NZ$160

-10.60%

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

$9.60 COP 34.9K

$39.03 NZ$66.4

-75.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.9K

$54.2 NZ$92.1

-55.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 94.1K

$32.44 NZ$55.2

-20.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 69.3K

$16.44 NZ$27.95

15.82%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.2K

$13.38 NZ$22.74

-70.70%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$835 NZ$1,419

-63.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.5M

$17.9K NZ$30.5K

-67.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 210.6K

$63.0 NZ$107

-8.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 115.7K

$41.00 NZ$69.7

-22.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 363.3K

$88.2 NZ$150

13.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 389.7K

$114 NZ$194

-6.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$958 NZ$1,629

-49.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$878 NZ$1,492

-58.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$1,249 NZ$2,123

-33.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$1,615 NZ$2,746

-55.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$5,675 NZ$9,647

-48.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$4,916 NZ$8,358

-71.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$2,673 NZ$4,545

-79.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

6.83

96.63%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $958 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 390% 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 $85.0 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $311 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, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Hamilton earns 390% 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: $487 in Medellin versus $958 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 $33.00 versus $85.0 in Hamilton. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,034 per month in Medellin versus $1,869 in Hamilton – a 81% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,869 in Hamilton, a $1,500 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 81% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.