Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Timaru Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Timaru

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,917 in Timaru, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $2,928 in Timaru, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $3,939 in Timaru, rent included.

Medellin is about 12% cheaper than Timaru, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Medellin and Timaru sit above the global median – Medellin by 23%, Timaru by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$14.41 NZ$25.18

-44.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$63.2 NZ$111

-24.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$11.17 NZ$19.53

-11.46%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.38 NZ$5.91

-7.40%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$2.11 NZ$3.69

-9.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$1.83 NZ$3.19

-17.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$5.76 NZ$10.06

-45.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$6.54 NZ$11.43

-12.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.12 NZ$1.96

28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.83 NZ$3.19

36.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.18 NZ$2.06

50.00%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$5.87 NZ$10.26

-49.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$8.71 NZ$15.23

15.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$9.58 NZ$16.74

5.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$17.05 NZ$29.81

-16.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$3.04 NZ$5.32

36.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$2.41 NZ$4.21

-33.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$3.23 NZ$5.65

-30.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$5.09 NZ$8.90

-55.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.87 NZ$3.27

9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.90 NZ$3.33

-18.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$2.33 NZ$4.07

-49.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.56 NZ$0.99

133.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$21.33 NZ$37.28

-81.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$5.93 NZ$10.36

136.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$3.32 NZ$5.80

-47.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.22 NZ$2.13

135.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$1.75 NZ$3.06

-30.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$86.8 NZ$152

-7.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$2.33 NZ$4.07

-43.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.83 NZ$3.21

19.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$28.99 NZ$50.7

-69.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.53 NZ$2.67

-10.46%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$25.7K NZ$45.0K

8.12%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$25.6K NZ$44.8K

39.56%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$114 NZ$200

55.31%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$23.35 NZ$40.82

-40.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$54.4 NZ$95.2

-45.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$40.22 NZ$70.3

11.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$10.63 NZ$18.58

-37.44%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$594 NZ$1,039

36.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$12.0K NZ$20.9K

-23.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$61.0 NZ$107

46.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$35.99 NZ$62.9

63.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$93.1 NZ$163

48.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$141 NZ$247

-27.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$1,047 NZ$1,831

1.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$915 NZ$1,599

-27.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,566 NZ$2,738

20.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$1,510 NZ$2,640

-31.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$4,274 NZ$7,471

-2.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$3,025 NZ$5,289

-44.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

7.07

54.74%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Timaru: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $1,047 in Timaru. 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $63.0 in Timaru. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $307 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Timaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Timaru is pricier by about 14%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $2,875 in Timaru. 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $63.0 in Timaru. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,681 in Medellin and $1,917 in Timaru. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,681, than in Timaru at $1,917. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Timaru 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, Timaru makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.