Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Rolleston

For one person, living is cheaper in Rolleston: $1,142 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
56

Cost of Living Index in Rolleston
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Rolleston Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Rolleston

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Rolleston

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,142 in Rolleston, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Rolleston $1,142

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $2,160 in Rolleston, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Rolleston $2,160

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $3,178 in Rolleston, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Rolleston $3,178

Medellin costs about 41% more than Rolleston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Rolleston is 15% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$14.22 NZ$25.14

-44.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$68.1 NZ$120

-32.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$8.79 NZ$15.54

8.08%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$3.28 NZ$5.81

-5.18%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$2.13 NZ$3.77

-14.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$1.76 NZ$3.12

-21.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$6.62 NZ$11.70

-53.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$6.18 NZ$10.93

-11.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.65 NZ$2.92

-12.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$1.81 NZ$3.19

30.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.50 NZ$2.66

12.00%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$5.66 NZ$10.02

-49.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$7.09 NZ$12.53

43.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$9.38 NZ$16.58

1.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$13.71 NZ$24.25

2.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$2.57 NZ$4.55

58.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$2.32 NZ$4.11

-35.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$2.73 NZ$4.82

-20.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$5.10 NZ$9.01

-54.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.79 NZ$3.16

7.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.45 NZ$2.57

13.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.29 NZ$4.05

-50.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.59 NZ$1.05

111.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$23.39 NZ$41.36

-82.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$8.16 NZ$14.43

63.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$3.33 NZ$5.89

-48.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$3.30 NZ$5.83

-28.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$1.14 NZ$2.02

6.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$2.44 NZ$4.32

-45.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$1.71 NZ$3.02

25.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$27.51 NZ$48.65

-69.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.74 NZ$3.07

-25.29%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$24.8K NZ$43.8K

12.92%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$24.0K NZ$42.5K

47.52%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$108 NZ$191

59.22%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$22.38 NZ$39.58

-40.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$45.15 NZ$79.9

-36.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$10.08 NZ$17.82

-37.70%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$341 NZ$602

126.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$6,755 NZ$11.9K

33.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$57.5 NZ$102

50.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$35.21 NZ$62.3

62.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$89.5 NZ$158

52.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$122 NZ$215

-19.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$278 NZ$491

280.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$254 NZ$449

142.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$1,025 NZ$1,813

84.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$1,082 NZ$1,914

-5.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$2,022 NZ$3,576

100.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$1,805 NZ$3,192

-7.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$4,358 NZ$7,707

-85.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.91

85.11%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Rolleston: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Rolleston

$254 22.2% 58.8% $362

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Rolleston

$300 26.3% 1.8% $5.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Rolleston

$176 15.4% 18% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Rolleston

$137 12% 19.6% $33

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Rolleston

$241 21.1% 42.8% $72

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Rolleston

$16 * 1.4% 83.3% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Rolleston

$20 * 1.8% 65.1% $38

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 $278 in Rolleston. 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 568% higher in Rolleston, 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 $68.0 in Rolleston. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $300 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇳🇿 Rolleston

🕒 Local time

21:12 9:12 PM

15:12 3:12 PM

18 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

28,000

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Rolleston 12,250 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Rolleston

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 Rolleston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 41%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,713 in Rolleston. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rolleston, 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 $68.0 in Rolleston. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rolleston, where all-in costs run around $1,142, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Rolleston it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rolleston – 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 Rolleston. 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.