Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Rarotonga

For one person, living is cheaper in Rarotonga: $1,117 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Rarotonga

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

$1,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Rarotonga

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $1,117 in Rarotonga, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Rarotonga $1,117

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,580 in Rarotonga, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Rarotonga $1,580

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $2,044 in Rarotonga, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Rarotonga $2,044

Medellin costs about 51% more than Rarotonga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Rarotonga is 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$14.17 NZ$25.33

-41.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.3K

$51.9 NZ$92.7

-10.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$5.71 NZ$10.21

65.85%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$3.51 NZ$6.27

-10.83%

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

$1.77 COP 5,705

$2.22 NZ$3.96

-20.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,601

$2.31 NZ$4.13

-38.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$4.97 NZ$8.88

-36.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$5.17 NZ$9.24

10.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,950

$2.77 NZ$4.96

-44.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,401

$2.79 NZ$4.98

-17.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,282

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,905

$6.29 NZ$11.23

-51.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

$7.35 NZ$13.13

35.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,937

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,797

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,409

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,813

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,521

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,780

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,104

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$11.42 NZ$20.40

-65.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.4K

$11.23 NZ$20.06

25.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,690

$3.34 NZ$5.98

-47.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,760

$5.12 NZ$9.15

-47.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,811

$2.81 NZ$5.02

-58.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,836

$19.77 NZ$35.33

-90.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,878

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

$34.02 NZ$60.8

-76.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,119

$1.74 NZ$3.12

-26.44%

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

$11.4K NZ$20.3K

203.03%

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

$34.1K COP 110.3M

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

$178 COP 574.1K

$100 NZ$179

76.99%

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

$13.89 COP 44.9K

$47.44 NZ$84.8

-70.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.3K

$103 NZ$184

-70.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.3K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

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

$790 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.9K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$460 NZ$822

191.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$457 NZ$816

46.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$682 NZ$1,219

189.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$631 NZ$1,127

63.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$3,929 NZ$7,020

-83.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Rarotonga: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Rarotonga

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Rarotonga

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Rarotonga

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Rarotonga

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Rarotonga

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Rarotonga

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Rarotonga

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $460 in Rarotonga. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Rarotonga are about 6.1 times higher, 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 $47 in Medellin versus $52 in Rarotonga. Groceries tell a different story – $307 in Medellin vs $152 in Rarotonga – so Rarotonga wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇰 Rarotonga

🕒 Local time

07:26 7:26 AM

02:26 2:26 AM

5 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

13,373

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 NZD = 0.56 USD

1 NZD = 0.498 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,628 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 NZD (1 NZD = 0.56 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 NZD (1 NZD = 0.498 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Rarotonga 9,660 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Rarotonga

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 Rarotonga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $1,675 in Rarotonga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rarotonga, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $460 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 102% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $52 in Rarotonga. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,692 in Medellin and $1,117 in Rarotonga. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,117 in Rarotonga to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.