Cost of Living Comparison Between Nelson and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Nelson and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,035 per month in Nelson vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,074 per month in Nelson vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,112 per month in Nelson vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Nelson costs about 97% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Nelson sits 52% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.24 NZ$36.32

$5.92 COP 21.4K

258.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.8 NZ$142

$32.75 COP 118.2K

152.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.53 NZ$16.30

$7.20 COP 26.0K

32.36%

Cappuccino

$3.22 NZ$5.51

$1.70 COP 6,140

89.41%

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

$2.57 NZ$4.39

$1.10 COP 3,966

133.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 NZ$4.54

$0.72 COP 2,605

269.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 NZ$12.13

$1.67 COP 6,022

325.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 NZ$10.23

$3.10 COP 11.2K

92.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NZ$4.11

$1.06 COP 3,809

126.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 NZ$3.79

$1.25 COP 4,497

77.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 NZ$3.84

$1.39 COP 5,022

61.87%

Eggs

$6.04 NZ$10.32

$2.26 COP 8,168

167.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 NZ$17.35

$4.33 COP 15.6K

134.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 NZ$13.52

$5.84 COP 21.1K

35.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.01 NZ$27.37

$8.83 COP 31.9K

81.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 NZ$6.20

$2.24 COP 8,099

62.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 NZ$4.40

$1.08 COP 3,882

137.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 NZ$5.36

$1.53 COP 5,522

104.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.49 NZ$11.10

$1.37 COP 4,950

373.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.84 NZ$6.56

$1.13 COP 4,078

239.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 NZ$4.45

$1.12 COP 4,036

132.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 NZ$4.33

$0.85 COP 3,057

197.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 NZ$2.11

$0.91 COP 3,281

35.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.93 NZ$51.2

$2.33 COP 8,414

1184.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.16 NZ$17.38

$11.13 COP 40.2K

-8.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 NZ$5.33

$1.19 COP 4,309

162.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 NZ$7.90

$2.37 COP 8,553

94.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 NZ$4.08

$0.79 COP 2,838

201.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 NZ$110

$41.13 COP 148.5K

56.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.18 NZ$7.15

$1.44 COP 5,184

190.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 NZ$3.09

$1.91 COP 6,901

-5.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.59 NZ$59.1

$8.02 COP 28.9K

331.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.96

$0.94 COP 3,385

84.04%

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

$18.3K NZ$31.3K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

2.05%

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

$22.1K NZ$37.7K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

-17.69%

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

$223 NZ$381

$84.0 COP 303.1K

165.65%

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

$35.98 NZ$61.5

$9.60 COP 34.7K

274.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.4 NZ$86.2

$24.16 COP 87.2K

108.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.12 NZ$82.3

$25.88 COP 93.4K

85.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.17 NZ$36.20

$19.04 COP 68.7K

11.19%

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 NZ$17.42

$3.92 COP 14.1K

159.95%

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

$487 NZ$833

$306 COP 1.1M

59.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NZ$20.8K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

105.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 NZ$102

$57.9 COP 209.1K

3.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.4 NZ$114

$31.82 COP 114.9K

108.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 NZ$229

$99.9 COP 360.6K

33.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 NZ$191

$107 COP 386.8K

4.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$966 NZ$1,653

$487 COP 1.8M

98.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 NZ$1,247

$368 COP 1.3M

98.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 NZ$2,416

$826 COP 3.0M

71.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 NZ$2,053

$716 COP 2.6M

67.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,870 NZ$6,618

$2,925 COP 10.6M

32.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,143 NZ$5,374

$1,407 COP 5.1M

123.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,089 NZ$3,573

$546 COP 2.0M

283.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

13.43

-49.22%

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

Last update for Nelson: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $966 in Nelson versus $487 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 283% higher in Nelson, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Nelson versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $190 – 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

Nelson vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nelson is pricier by about 97%, 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 $3,052 per month in Nelson and $1,550 in Medellin. 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 $83.0 in Nelson and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,035 in Nelson and $1,034 in Medellin. 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 Nelson at $2,035. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nelson 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, Nelson makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.