Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Porirua

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $1,870 in Porirua, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Porirua
Learn more

Porirua Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Porirua

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,870

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Porirua

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,870 in Porirua, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Porirua $1,870

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $2,936 in Porirua, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Porirua $2,936

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $4,002 in Porirua, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Porirua $4,002

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$13.87 NZ$24.52

-42.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$64.9 NZ$115

-28.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$8.74 NZ$15.46

8.70%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$2.82 NZ$4.99

10.28%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$2.38 NZ$4.21

-23.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$1.74 NZ$3.08

-20.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$7.39 NZ$13.07

-58.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$6.64 NZ$11.74

-17.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.93 NZ$3.41

-24.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$2.22 NZ$3.93

6.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.86 NZ$3.28

-9.68%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$7.05 NZ$12.48

-59.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$9.11 NZ$16.12

11.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$9.45 NZ$16.72

0.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$15.13 NZ$26.77

-7.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$3.15 NZ$5.57

29.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$2.11 NZ$3.74

-28.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$3.05 NZ$5.40

-28.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$6.26 NZ$11.07

-63.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$2.06 NZ$3.64

-6.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.27 NZ$2.25

29.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$1.98 NZ$3.50

-42.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.19 NZ$2.11

5.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$24.64 NZ$43.58

-83.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$11.28 NZ$19.96

18.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$3.11 NZ$5.50

-45.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.76 NZ$4.88

-14.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$1.66 NZ$2.93

-27.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$87.1 NZ$154

-12.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$1.79 NZ$3.16

-26.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$1.76 NZ$3.12

21.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$32.99 NZ$58.4

-74.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.53 NZ$2.71

-15.03%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$25.2K NZ$44.5K

11.26%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$24.6K NZ$43.5K

44.13%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$120 NZ$212

43.48%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$32.55 NZ$57.6

-58.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$54.0 NZ$95.5

-46.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$40.23 NZ$71.2

12.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$12.12 NZ$21.43

-48.18%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$1,059 NZ$1,874

-27.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$13.0K NZ$22.9K

-30.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$78.5 NZ$139

10.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$28.18 NZ$49.84

102.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$100 NZ$178

36.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$155 NZ$274

-36.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$868 NZ$1,534

21.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$751 NZ$1,328

-17.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$1,645 NZ$2,909

15.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$1,463 NZ$2,588

-30.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$4,278 NZ$7,566

-5.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$3,603 NZ$6,372

-53.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$2,825 NZ$4,996

-76.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.39

102.97%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Porirua: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Porirua

$751 40.1% 21.9% $135

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Porirua

$344 18.4% 16.6% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Porirua

$207 11% 3.6% $7.7

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Porirua

$163 8.7% 4.3% $7.3

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Porirua

$238 12.7% 41.2% $69

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Porirua

$104 5.6% 11.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Porirua

$64 3.5% 11.5% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $868 in Porirua. 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 333% higher in Porirua, 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 $65.0 in Porirua. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $344 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇳🇿 Porirua

🕒 Local time

15:15 3:15 PM

09:15 9:15 AM

18 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

61,900

💱 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 Porirua 12,100 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Porirua

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 Porirua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Porirua 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 $2,806 in Porirua. 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 $65.0 in Porirua. 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 $1,870 in Porirua. 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 Porirua at $1,870. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Porirua 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, Porirua makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.