Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Paihia

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $1,878 in Paihia, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Paihia
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Paihia Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Paihia

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,878

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Paihia

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,878 in Paihia, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Paihia $1,878

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $2,919 in Paihia, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Paihia $2,919

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $3,960 in Paihia, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Paihia $3,960

Medellin is about 14% cheaper than Paihia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Paihia sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Paihia by 39%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$13.79 NZ$24.39

-42.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$33.24 NZ$58.8

38.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$8.35 NZ$14.77

13.77%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$3.31 NZ$5.86

-6.04%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$1.92 NZ$3.40

-4.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$1.80 NZ$3.18

-23.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$6.68 NZ$11.81

-54.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$6.63 NZ$11.72

-17.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.86 NZ$3.29

-22.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$2.24 NZ$3.96

5.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.89 NZ$3.34

-11.11%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$6.39 NZ$11.29

-55.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$8.42 NZ$14.89

21.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$9.68 NZ$17.13

-1.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$17.32 NZ$30.63

-18.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$2.83 NZ$5.00

43.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$2.11 NZ$3.74

-28.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$3.01 NZ$5.33

-27.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$5.68 NZ$10.05

-59.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$2.08 NZ$3.67

-7.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.53 NZ$2.70

7.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$1.99 NZ$3.52

-43.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.04 NZ$1.83

20.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$27.24 NZ$48.17

-85.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$10.39 NZ$18.37

28.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$2.73 NZ$4.82

-37.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$3.30 NZ$5.84

-28.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$1.60 NZ$2.82

-24.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$82.1 NZ$145

-6.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$1.70 NZ$3.01

-22.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$2.00 NZ$3.54

7.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$31.30 NZ$55.4

-72.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.87 NZ$3.30

-30.48%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$25.6K NZ$45.2K

9.54%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$22.4K NZ$39.6K

58.28%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$184 NZ$325

-6.22%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$26.10 NZ$46.16

-48.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$50.5 NZ$89.4

-43.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$33.25 NZ$58.8

36.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$12.74 NZ$22.53

-50.71%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$1,097 NZ$1,939

-29.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$19.4K NZ$34.3K

-53.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$77.9 NZ$138

10.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$39.32 NZ$69.5

45.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$91.0 NZ$161

49.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$108 NZ$192

-9.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$939 NZ$1,660

12.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$742 NZ$1,311

-16.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$1,802 NZ$3,187

5.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$1,607 NZ$2,843

-36.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$4,161 NZ$7,359

-2.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$3,605 NZ$6,376

-53.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.37

103.72%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Paihia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Paihia

$742 39.5% 20.4% $126

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Paihia

$338 18% 14.6% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Paihia

$260 13.9% 21.5% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Paihia

$143 7.6% 16.2% $28

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Paihia

$237 12.6% 40.5% $68

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Paihia

$100 5.3% 7.4% $6.9

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Paihia

$59 3.1% 1.6% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $939 in Paihia. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $33.00 in Paihia. Groceries tell a different story – $295 in Medellin vs $338 in Paihia – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇳🇿 Paihia

🕒 Local time

18:34 6:34 PM

12:34 12:34 PM

18 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,800

💱 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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Between locations

Medellin Paihia 12,250 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Paihia

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 Paihia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Paihia is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $2,816 in Paihia. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $33.00 in Paihia. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $1,878 in Paihia. That's a gap of about 16%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Paihia at $1,878. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Paihia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Paihia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.