Cost of Living Comparison Between Palmerston North and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Palmerston North and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,714 per month in Palmerston North vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,743 per month in Palmerston North vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,773 per month in Palmerston North vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Palmerston North costs about 69% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Palmerston North sits 28% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 NZ$27.84

$5.99 COP 21.4K

175.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 NZ$120

$32.86 COP 117.4K

117.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 NZ$20.62

$7.09 COP 25.3K

72.21%

Cappuccino

$3.57 NZ$6.03

$1.71 COP 6,115

108.77%

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

$2.38 NZ$4.02

$1.10 COP 3,924

116.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 NZ$3.49

$0.78 COP 2,781

165.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.15 NZ$12.07

$1.68 COP 5,997

325.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 NZ$10.65

$3.07 COP 11.0K

105.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 NZ$3.40

$1.09 COP 3,906

84.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 NZ$3.54

$1.26 COP 4,508

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 NZ$2.95

$1.38 COP 4,922

26.81%

Eggs

$5.23 NZ$8.82

$2.19 COP 7,827

138.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 NZ$13.95

$4.40 COP 15.7K

87.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 NZ$15.58

$5.63 COP 20.1K

63.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 NZ$21.27

$8.89 COP 31.8K

41.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 NZ$4.23

$2.34 COP 8,349

7.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 NZ$3.04

$1.06 COP 3,777

69.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 NZ$4.15

$1.50 COP 5,374

64.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 NZ$5.63

$1.38 COP 4,924

142.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 NZ$3.64

$1.15 COP 4,111

87.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 NZ$3.68

$1.16 COP 4,155

87.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 NZ$3.45

$0.89 COP 3,182

129.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 NZ$1.65

$0.84 COP 2,997

15.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.54 NZ$34.68

$2.28 COP 8,145

800.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.04 NZ$15.27

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-15.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 NZ$4.26

$1.20 COP 4,284

110.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 NZ$9.14

$2.47 COP 8,824

119.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.72 NZ$7.98

$0.86 COP 3,056

448.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.37 NZ$51.3

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-26.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 NZ$4.18

$1.47 COP 5,264

68.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NZ$3.11

$1.96 COP 7,009

-6.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.02 NZ$28.73

$7.74 COP 27.6K

119.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.92

$0.95 COP 3,409

82.11%

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

$18.8K NZ$31.7K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

3.68%

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

$21.8K NZ$36.7K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-17.85%

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

$89.8 NZ$152

$82.3 COP 293.7K

9.18%

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

$37.60 NZ$63.5

$9.50 COP 33.9K

295.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.40 NZ$81.7

$24.23 COP 86.5K

99.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.74 NZ$58.7

$25.89 COP 92.4K

34.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.16 NZ$22.22

$19.00 COP 67.9K

-30.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.00 NZ$15.20

$3.93 COP 14.0K

129.01%

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

$1,004 NZ$1,694

$309 COP 1.1M

224.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,168 NZ$10.4K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

3.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 NZ$97.3

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-1.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.67 NZ$63.6

$32.35 COP 115.5K

16.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 NZ$154

$103 COP 366.4K

-11.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 NZ$158

$108 COP 387.2K

-13.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$839 NZ$1,416

$476 COP 1.7M

76.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 NZ$1,162

$379 COP 1.4M

81.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 NZ$2,614

$838 COP 3.0M

84.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 NZ$2,347

$724 COP 2.6M

92.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,200 NZ$3,714

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-21.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,969 NZ$3,324

$1,211 COP 4.3M

62.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,671 NZ$4,509

$512 COP 1.8M

421.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

13.43

-50.19%

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

Last update for Palmerston North: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $839 in Palmerston North versus $476 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 422% higher in Palmerston North, 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 $71.0 in Palmerston North versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $188 – 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

Palmerston North vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Palmerston North is pricier by about 69%, 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 $2,571 per month in Palmerston North and $1,519 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 $71.0 in Palmerston North 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 $1,714 in Palmerston North and $1,013 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 $1,013, than in Palmerston North at $1,714. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Palmerston North 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, Palmerston North makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.