Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Timaru

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,992 in Timaru, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 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
96

Cost of Living Index in Timaru
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Timaru Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Timaru

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,992

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Timaru

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,992 in Timaru, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Timaru $1,992

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $3,048 in Timaru, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Timaru $3,048

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $4,104 in Timaru, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Timaru $4,104

Medellin is about 18% cheaper than Timaru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Timaru sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Timaru by 46%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$14.41 NZ$25.62

-43.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$61.3 NZ$109

-23.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$10.87 NZ$19.32

-12.60%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$3.29 NZ$5.85

-8.51%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$2.13 NZ$3.78

-15.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$1.78 NZ$3.16

-20.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$5.70 NZ$10.12

-44.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$6.12 NZ$10.87

-6.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.15 NZ$2.05

31.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$1.79 NZ$3.18

32.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.12 NZ$1.99

58.04%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$5.98 NZ$10.62

-51.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$8.28 NZ$14.72

23.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$9.21 NZ$16.37

7.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$16.69 NZ$29.66

-16.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.93 NZ$5.21

35.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$2.42 NZ$4.29

-35.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$3.17 NZ$5.64

-31.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$5.25 NZ$9.33

-58.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.86 NZ$3.30

5.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.85 NZ$3.29

-14.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$2.32 NZ$4.13

-50.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.55 NZ$0.98

125.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$21.06 NZ$37.44

-81.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$5.57 NZ$9.91

145.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$3.17 NZ$5.64

-47.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$1.26 NZ$2.23

79.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$1.94 NZ$3.45

-39.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$110 NZ$196

-29.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$2.23 NZ$3.97

-43.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$1.79 NZ$3.18

14.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$28.93 NZ$51.4

-70.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.56 NZ$2.76

-13.46%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$28.5K NZ$50.6K

19.61%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$22.9K NZ$40.8K

51.09%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$113 NZ$201

49.96%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$22.85 NZ$40.63

-40.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$52.5 NZ$93.3

-46.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$39.92 NZ$71.0

9.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$11.39 NZ$20.25

-39.33%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$590 NZ$1,048

35.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$16.1K NZ$28.6K

-43.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$59.4 NZ$106

42.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$35.10 NZ$62.4

65.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$91.0 NZ$162

48.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$137 NZ$244

-28.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,108 NZ$1,970

8.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$921 NZ$1,637

-30.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,790 NZ$3,182

13.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,674 NZ$2,975

-39.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$4,547 NZ$8,083

-8.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$2,866 NZ$5,094

-33.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Timaru: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Timaru

$921 46.2% 43.5% $279

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Timaru

$302 15.1% 1.5% $4.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Timaru

$188 9.5% 10.8% $23

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Timaru

$244 12.2% 43.7% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Timaru

$145 7.3% 14.1% $24

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Timaru

$129 6.5% 38% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Timaru

$63 3.2% 9% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,108 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 $47 in Medellin versus $61 in Timaru. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $302 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇳🇿 Timaru

🕒 Local time

06:40 6:40 AM

00:40 12:40 AM

18 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

28,600

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 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 = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Timaru 12,320 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Timaru

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 Timaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Timaru is pricier by about 21%, 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 $2,987 in Timaru. 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 $1,108 in Timaru. 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 $61 in Timaru. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,992 in Timaru, 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 $1,992 in Timaru. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.