Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Invercargill

For one person, living is cheaper in Invercargill: $1,412 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 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
68

Cost of Living Index in Invercargill
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Invercargill Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Invercargill

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,412

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Invercargill

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,412 in Invercargill, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Invercargill $1,412

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $2,099 in Invercargill, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Invercargill $2,099

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $2,785 in Invercargill, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Invercargill $2,785

Medellin costs about 14% more than Invercargill, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Medellin and Invercargill sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Invercargill by 5%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$14.04 NZ$24.83

-43.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$61.2 NZ$108

-24.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$8.32 NZ$14.71

14.18%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$3.12 NZ$5.52

-0.32%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$1.65 NZ$2.92

10.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$2.03 NZ$3.60

-32.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$2.74 NZ$4.85

11.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$2.74 NZ$4.85

100.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.68 NZ$2.96

-13.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$1.85 NZ$3.27

27.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.76 NZ$3.11

-4.55%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$5.58 NZ$9.87

-48.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$8.23 NZ$14.55

23.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$8.83 NZ$15.61

7.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$12.12 NZ$21.44

15.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$2.55 NZ$4.50

59.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$2.36 NZ$4.17

-36.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$2.66 NZ$4.70

-18.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$3.52 NZ$6.23

-34.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$3.21 NZ$5.68

-39.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.61 NZ$2.85

1.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.33 NZ$4.13

-51.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.04 NZ$1.84

20.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$20.39 NZ$36.06

-80.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$8.56 NZ$15.14

55.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$2.86 NZ$5.06

-40.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$3.39 NZ$5.99

-30.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$1.41 NZ$2.49

-14.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$2.27 NZ$4.01

-41.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$1.94 NZ$3.42

10.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$27.73 NZ$49.04

-69.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.59 NZ$2.81

-18.24%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$23.8K NZ$42.1K

17.60%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$18.2K NZ$32.3K

94.14%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$109 NZ$192

58.27%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$32.30 NZ$57.1

-58.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$42.46 NZ$75.1

-32.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$27.87 NZ$49.29

62.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$13.77 NZ$24.34

23.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$8.82 NZ$15.60

-28.80%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$589 NZ$1,042

30.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$57.4 NZ$102

50.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$35.07 NZ$62.0

62.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$70.0 NZ$124

95.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$79.0 NZ$140

23.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$594 NZ$1,050

77.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$551 NZ$974

11.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$831 NZ$1,470

127.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$764 NZ$1,350

33.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$5,482 NZ$9,695

-25.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$5,034 NZ$8,902

-66.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$2,729 NZ$4,826

-76.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.72

62.80%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Invercargill: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Invercargill

$551 39% 10.6% $65

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Invercargill

$298 21.1% 1.1% $3.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Invercargill

$183 13% 14.3% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Invercargill

$109 7.7% 36.1% $61

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Invercargill

$209 14.8% 23.9% $40

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Invercargill

$18 * 1.2% 81.2% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Invercargill

$46 3.2% 21.3% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $594 in Invercargill. 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 318% higher in Invercargill, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $61.0 in Invercargill. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $298 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇳🇿 Invercargill

🕒 Local time

18:34 6:34 PM

12:34 12:34 PM

18 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

56,200

💱 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 Invercargill 12,490 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Invercargill

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 Invercargill: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 14% more than Invercargill, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $2,119 in Invercargill. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $1,412 in Invercargill. That's a gap of about 14%.

Kindergarten costs $770 per month in Medellin and $589 in Invercargill. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Invercargill, where all-in costs run around $1,412, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Invercargill it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Invercargill costs $1,412 versus $1,614 in Medellin. 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 Invercargill. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.