Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hastings

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $1,731 in Hastings, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 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
84

Cost of Living Index in Hastings
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Hastings Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Hastings

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,731

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Hastings

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,731 in Hastings, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Hastings $1,731

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $2,526 in Hastings, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Hastings $2,526

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $3,322 in Hastings, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Hastings $3,322

Medellin is about 7% cheaper than Hastings, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Medellin and Hastings sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Hastings by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$11.05 NZ$19.55

-28.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$55.7 NZ$98.5

-17.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$9.05 NZ$16.00

4.97%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$3.06 NZ$5.41

1.63%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$1.87 NZ$3.31

-2.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$1.36 NZ$2.41

1.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$4.34 NZ$7.67

-29.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$5.51 NZ$9.75

-0.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.41 NZ$2.50

2.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$1.29 NZ$2.28

82.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.72 NZ$3.05

-2.33%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$5.45 NZ$9.64

-47.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$5.72 NZ$10.11

78.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$7.30 NZ$12.90

30.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$11.45 NZ$20.26

22.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$2.66 NZ$4.71

53.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.92 NZ$3.40

-21.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$3.06 NZ$5.42

-29.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$3.30 NZ$5.84

-30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.81 NZ$3.21

6.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.05 NZ$1.85

56.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$1.45 NZ$2.56

-22.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.91 NZ$1.60

37.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$17.62 NZ$31.16

-77.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$9.08 NZ$16.06

47.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$4.02 NZ$7.11

-57.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.91 NZ$5.14

-18.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$2.71 NZ$4.79

-55.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$81.8 NZ$145

-6.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$3.65 NZ$6.46

-63.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$2.75 NZ$4.87

-22.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$33.32 NZ$58.9

-74.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.60 NZ$2.82

-18.75%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$27.0K NZ$47.7K

3.84%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$22.7K NZ$40.1K

56.32%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$190 NZ$335

-9.26%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$36.05 NZ$63.8

-62.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$59.6 NZ$105

-51.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$27.98 NZ$49.48

61.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$9.93 NZ$17.55

-36.76%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$679 NZ$1,200

13.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$22.0K NZ$38.9K

-58.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$46.05 NZ$81.4

87.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$37.74 NZ$66.7

51.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$94.8 NZ$168

44.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$90.8 NZ$161

7.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$806 NZ$1,426

30.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$703 NZ$1,243

-12.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$1,519 NZ$2,687

24.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$1,129 NZ$1,997

-9.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$5,051 NZ$8,933

-19.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$3,061 NZ$5,414

-45.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$1,589 NZ$2,810

-58.95%

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: October 12, 2026

Last update for Hastings: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Hastings

$703 40.6% 14.1% $87

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Hastings

$266 15.4% 9.9% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Hastings

$285 16.5% 33.2% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Hastings

$121 7% 28.7% $49

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Hastings

$198 11.4% 17.6% $30

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Hastings

$110 6.4% 17.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Hastings

$48 2.8% 17.3% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $806 in Hastings. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 144% higher in Hastings, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $56.0 in Hastings. Groceries tell a different story – $295 in Medellin vs $266 in Hastings – so Hastings wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇳🇿 Hastings

🕒 Local time

15:35 3:35 PM

09:35 9:35 AM

18 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

50,100

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Hastings 11,950 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Hastings

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 Hastings: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hastings costs about 7% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $2,596 in Hastings. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Hastings – 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 $46.00 in Medellin and $56.0 in Hastings. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Hastings at $1,731. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hastings it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,614 versus $1,731 in Hastings. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hastings makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.