Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Whakatane

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,982 in Whakatane, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 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
94

Cost of Living Index in Whakatane
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Whakatane Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Whakatane

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,982

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Whakatane

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,982 in Whakatane, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Whakatane $1,982

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,919 in Whakatane, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Whakatane $2,919

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,856 in Whakatane, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Whakatane $3,856

Medellin is about 17% cheaper than Whakatane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$14.21 NZ$25.26

-43.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$67.5 NZ$120

-30.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$8.93 NZ$15.87

6.38%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$3.16 NZ$5.62

-4.75%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.99 NZ$3.53

-9.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$1.83 NZ$3.26

-22.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$6.12 NZ$10.87

-48.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$6.32 NZ$11.23

-9.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.86 NZ$3.31

-18.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.98 NZ$1.75

142.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.86 NZ$3.30

-4.84%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$5.66 NZ$10.07

-48.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$8.46 NZ$15.03

20.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$8.55 NZ$15.20

15.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$15.37 NZ$27.32

-8.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.43 NZ$4.32

63.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$2.15 NZ$3.83

-27.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$2.97 NZ$5.28

-26.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$5.73 NZ$10.19

-61.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$2.00 NZ$3.56

-2.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.52 NZ$2.69

4.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$2.05 NZ$3.65

-43.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.07 NZ$1.90

15.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$27.52 NZ$48.93

-85.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$8.66 NZ$15.39

57.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.44 NZ$2.55

15.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$1.15 NZ$2.05

96.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$1.74 NZ$3.10

-32.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$93.8 NZ$167

-17.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$2.25 NZ$4.01

-43.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$2.01 NZ$3.57

1.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$32.50 NZ$57.8

-73.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.58 NZ$2.81

-14.56%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$27.3K NZ$48.6K

24.67%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$9,071 NZ$16.1K

282.22%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$119 NZ$212

42.40%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$26.90 NZ$47.82

-49.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$40.58 NZ$72.1

-30.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$39.14 NZ$69.6

11.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$8.39 NZ$14.91

-17.64%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$1,065 NZ$1,894

-25.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$19.6K NZ$34.9K

-53.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$66.8 NZ$119

26.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$40.12 NZ$71.3

44.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$85.2 NZ$152

58.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$73.4 NZ$130

33.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$966 NZ$1,717

25.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$975 NZ$1,732

-34.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,639 NZ$2,914

23.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,525 NZ$2,710

-33.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$4,810 NZ$8,550

-13.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$3,305 NZ$5,875

-42.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$4,027 NZ$7,159

-83.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.37

103.72%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Whakatane: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Whakatane

$974 49.2% 51.9% $333

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Whakatane

$295 14.9% 0.6% $1.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Whakatane

$187 9.4% 11.7% $25

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Whakatane

$237 12% 39.7% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Whakatane

$119 6% 29.3% $49

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Whakatane

$113 5.7% 20.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Whakatane

$56 2.8% 2.8% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $966 in Whakatane. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Whakatane are about 6.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $67 in Whakatane. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $295 in Whakatane – so Whakatane wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇳🇿 Whakatane

🕒 Local time

23:08 11:08 PM

17:08 5:08 PM

18 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

16,700

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 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 = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 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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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Whakatane 11,960 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Whakatane

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 Whakatane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Whakatane 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 $2,973 in Whakatane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Whakatane, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $966 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $67 in Whakatane. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 17% 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 $1,982 in Whakatane, 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 $1,982 in Whakatane. 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, Whakatane makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.