Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tauranga

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,211 in Tauranga, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 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
106

Cost of Living Index in Tauranga
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Tauranga Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Tauranga

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,211

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Tauranga

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $2,211 in Tauranga, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Tauranga $2,211

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $3,232 in Tauranga, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Tauranga $3,232

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $4,252 in Tauranga, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Tauranga $4,252

Medellin is about 26% cheaper than Tauranga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Tauranga sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Tauranga by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$22.63 NZ$40.26

-64.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$68.5 NZ$122

-31.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$11.34 NZ$20.17

-16.23%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$3.49 NZ$6.21

-13.75%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.85 NZ$3.28

-2.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$1.81 NZ$3.21

-22.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$4.66 NZ$8.29

-31.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$5.63 NZ$10.01

2.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$2.29 NZ$4.07

-34.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$1.99 NZ$3.54

19.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$1.55 NZ$2.76

14.19%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$6.40 NZ$11.38

-54.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$8.51 NZ$15.15

19.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$9.38 NZ$16.69

5.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$11.96 NZ$21.28

16.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.51 NZ$4.46

58.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$2.09 NZ$3.72

-25.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$2.27 NZ$4.04

-3.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$4.91 NZ$8.74

-55.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$1.70 NZ$3.03

15.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$1.26 NZ$2.24

26.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$2.39 NZ$4.25

-51.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.28 NZ$2.27

-3.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$20.98 NZ$37.31

-81.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$8.59 NZ$15.28

59.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$2.13 NZ$3.78

-22.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$3.87 NZ$6.88

-41.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$2.17 NZ$3.86

-46.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$128 NZ$228

-39.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$1.68 NZ$2.98

-19.64%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$28.2K NZ$50.1K

21.01%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$22.3K NZ$39.8K

55.13%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$116 NZ$207

45.87%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$36.01 NZ$64.1

-62.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$51.5 NZ$91.6

-45.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$45.11 NZ$80.3

-3.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$17.30 NZ$30.77

-0.64%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$11.33 NZ$20.15

-39.01%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$734 NZ$1,306

8.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$11.4K NZ$20.2K

-19.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$66.3 NZ$118

27.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$38.47 NZ$68.4

50.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$92.0 NZ$164

46.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$129 NZ$230

-24.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,123 NZ$1,998

7.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$1,040 NZ$1,850

-38.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,863 NZ$3,314

8.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,560 NZ$2,775

-35.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$4,876 NZ$8,673

-14.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$2,252 NZ$4,006

-15.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$2,955 NZ$5,257

-77.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.76

61.83%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tauranga: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Tauranga

$1K 47% 62.2% $399

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Tauranga

$310 14% 4.3% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Tauranga

$204 9.2% 3.5% $7.5

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Tauranga

$306 13.9% 80.5% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Tauranga

$147 6.6% 13.2% $22

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Tauranga

$137 * 6.2% 46.3% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Tauranga

$68 3.1% 17.8% $10

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,123 in Tauranga. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Tauranga are about 4.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $68 in Tauranga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $310 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇳🇿 Tauranga

🕒 Local time

16:01 4:01 PM

10:01 10:01 AM

18 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

155,200

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 NZD = 0.562 USD

1 NZD = 0.502 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,619 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.562 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.502 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Tauranga 12,030 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Tauranga

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 Tauranga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tauranga is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $3,317 in Tauranga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,208 in Medellin and $1,123 in Tauranga. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $68 in Tauranga. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $2,211 in Tauranga. That makes Medellin about 26% cheaper.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $2,211 in Tauranga, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $2,211 in Tauranga. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tauranga makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.