Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Waihi Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Waihi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $1,855 in Waihi, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $2,929 in Waihi, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $4,002 in Waihi, rent included.

Medellin is about 44% cheaper than Waihi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Medellin sits 23% below the global median, while Waihi is 39% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.5K

$15.24 NZ$25.90

-61.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 119.1K

$77.6 NZ$132

-57.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.2K

$9.53 NZ$16.20

-24.45%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,186

$3.38 NZ$5.75

-49.70%

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

$1.10 COP 3,996

$2.36 NZ$4.01

-53.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,625

$2.08 NZ$3.54

-65.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,067

$7.33 NZ$12.46

-77.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.3K

$6.21 NZ$10.56

-50.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,837

$1.83 NZ$3.12

-42.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,531

$1.94 NZ$3.30

-35.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,060

$1.83 NZ$3.12

-24.04%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,229

$6.13 NZ$10.41

-63.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.8K

$8.27 NZ$14.07

-47.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.2K

$9.45 NZ$16.07

-38.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 32.1K

$12.89 NZ$21.91

-31.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,159

$2.71 NZ$4.61

-17.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,911

$2.17 NZ$3.68

-50.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,563

$3.12 NZ$5.30

-50.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,987

$4.48 NZ$7.62

-69.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,109

$2.08 NZ$3.54

-45.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,067

$1.95 NZ$3.32

-42.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,080

$2.29 NZ$3.90

-62.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,305

$1.15 NZ$1.96

-20.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,477

$23.66 NZ$40.22

-90.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.5K

$10.36 NZ$17.61

7.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,342

$2.58 NZ$4.39

-53.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,617

$3.62 NZ$6.15

-34.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,859

$2.13 NZ$3.62

-62.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

$64.4 NZ$110

-36.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,223

$2.64 NZ$4.49

-45.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,952

$1.79 NZ$3.04

6.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 29.2K

$35.70 NZ$60.7

-77.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,410

$1.65 NZ$2.81

-43.03%

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

$17.9K COP 65.2M

$27.9K NZ$47.5K

-35.87%

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

$26.8K COP 97.4M

$22.5K NZ$38.3K

18.90%

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

$84.0 COP 305.4K

$142 NZ$241

-40.66%

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

$9.60 COP 34.9K

$35.90 NZ$61.0

-73.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.9K

$51.4 NZ$87.4

-52.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 94.1K

$36.70 NZ$62.4

-29.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 69.3K

$12.23 NZ$20.78

55.68%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.2K

$10.64 NZ$18.08

-63.16%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$727 NZ$1,236

-57.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.5M

$12.0K NZ$20.4K

-50.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 210.6K

$67.3 NZ$114

-13.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 115.7K

$38.06 NZ$64.7

-16.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 363.3K

$96.6 NZ$164

3.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 389.7K

$118 NZ$201

-9.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$965 NZ$1,640

-49.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$794 NZ$1,350

-53.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$1,565 NZ$2,660

-47.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$1,412 NZ$2,400

-49.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$4,857 NZ$8,257

-39.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$3,067 NZ$5,214

-54.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

6.74

99.26%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Waihi: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Medellin versus $965 in Waihi. 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $78.0 in Waihi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $316 – 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 Waihi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Waihi is pricier by about 79%, 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 $1,550 per month in Medellin and $2,782 in Waihi. 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 $33.00 in Medellin and $78.0 in Waihi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,034 in Medellin and $1,855 in Waihi. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,034, than in Waihi at $1,855. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Waihi 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, Waihi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.