Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Waitakere

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,065 in Waitakere, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
93

Cost of Living Index in Waitakere
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Waitakere Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Waitakere

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,065

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Waitakere

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $2,065 in Waitakere, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Waitakere $2,065

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,933 in Waitakere, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Waitakere $2,933

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,801 in Waitakere, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Waitakere $3,801

Medellin is about 21% cheaper than Waitakere, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Waitakere sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Waitakere by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$12.38 NZ$21.98

-34.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$73.6 NZ$131

-36.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$8.61 NZ$15.29

10.34%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$3.43 NZ$6.09

-12.24%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$2.30 NZ$4.08

-21.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$2.43 NZ$4.32

-41.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$6.33 NZ$11.24

-49.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$5.53 NZ$9.81

3.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.45 NZ$2.57

4.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$1.30 NZ$2.30

83.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$2.03 NZ$3.60

-12.81%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$5.28 NZ$9.38

-45.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$5.61 NZ$9.96

81.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$7.32 NZ$12.99

34.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$12.00 NZ$21.31

16.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.59 NZ$4.59

53.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$2.19 NZ$3.90

-29.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$3.22 NZ$5.72

-32.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$6.20 NZ$11.01

-64.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$2.08 NZ$3.69

-5.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$1.42 NZ$2.52

11.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$2.62 NZ$4.66

-56.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.94 NZ$1.66

31.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$26.32 NZ$46.73

-84.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$10.76 NZ$19.10

27.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$3.95 NZ$7.02

-57.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$4.09 NZ$7.27

-44.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$2.14 NZ$3.80

-45.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$107 NZ$189

-27.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$3.71 NZ$6.59

-65.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$2.00 NZ$3.55

2.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$26.54 NZ$47.12

-67.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$1.75 NZ$3.11

-22.86%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$28.5K NZ$50.5K

19.65%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$22.7K NZ$40.2K

53.01%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$57.0 NZ$101

197.63%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$36.26 NZ$64.4

-62.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$55.3 NZ$98.2

-49.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$40.97 NZ$72.7

6.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$13.75 NZ$24.40

-49.75%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$684 NZ$1,215

16.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$23.0K NZ$40.8K

-60.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$63.7 NZ$113

32.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$38.29 NZ$68.0

51.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$93.6 NZ$166

44.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$107 NZ$189

-8.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,026 NZ$1,821

17.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$1,059 NZ$1,880

-39.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,846 NZ$3,277

9.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,421 NZ$2,523

-28.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$5,184 NZ$9,204

-19.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$3,812 NZ$6,768

-49.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.83

60.18%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Waitakere: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Waitakere

$1.1K 51.3% 65.1% $417

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Waitakere

$296 14.4% 0.2% $0.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Waitakere

$149 7.2% 29.7% $63

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Waitakere

$228 11% 34.2% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Waitakere

$136 6.6% 19.5% $33

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Waitakere

$129 6.2% 37.8% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Waitakere

$68 3.3% 19% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,026 in Waitakere. 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 $74 in Waitakere. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $296 in Waitakere – so Waitakere wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇳🇿 Waitakere

🕒 Local time

06:50 6:50 AM

00:50 12:50 AM

18 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,830

💱 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 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 Waitakere 12,190 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Waitakere

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 Waitakere: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Waitakere is pricier by about 26%, 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 $3,097 in Waitakere. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Waitakere, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,026 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $74 in Waitakere. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 27% 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 $2,065 in Waitakere, 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 $2,065 in Waitakere. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.