Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rarotonga and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Rarotonga: $1,117 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Rarotonga

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

$1,117

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rarotonga and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rarotonga and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,117 per month in Rarotonga vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Rarotonga $1,117
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,581 per month in Rarotonga vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Rarotonga $1,581
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,045 per month in Rarotonga vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Rarotonga $2,045
Medellin $3,186

Rarotonga is about 32% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rarotonga sits 18% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.31 NZ$25.18

$8.09 COP 25.4K

76.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 NZ$89.8

$47.05 COP 148.0K

8.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 NZ$10.03

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-40.00%

Cappuccino

$3.33 NZ$5.86

$3.01 COP 9,485

10.63%

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

$2.21 NZ$3.88

$1.80 COP 5,660

22.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 NZ$3.96

$1.41 COP 4,443

59.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 NZ$8.88

$3.18 COP 9,990

58.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 NZ$8.91

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-12.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.80 NZ$4.92

$1.51 COP 4,751

85.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 NZ$5.12

$2.38 COP 7,480

22.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

Eggs

$6.22 NZ$10.94

$2.89 COP 9,093

115.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.20 NZ$12.67

$10.19 COP 32.1K

-29.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.49 NZ$20.22

$3.96 COP 12.5K

190.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.19 NZ$19.70

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-18.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 NZ$5.89

$1.66 COP 5,222

101.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 NZ$8.90

$2.26 COP 7,104

123.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 NZ$5.09

$1.17 COP 3,674

147.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$20.16 NZ$35.49

$1.27 COP 3,989

1487.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.69 NZ$59.3

$8.55 COP 26.9K

294.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 NZ$2.96

$1.35 COP 4,237

24.44%

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

$11.4K NZ$20.0K

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-66.61%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

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

$101 NZ$178

$170 COP 533.7K

-40.38%

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

$48.92 NZ$86.1

$13.55 COP 42.6K

261.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 NZ$181

$28.07 COP 88.3K

266.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

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

$797 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$446 NZ$785

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-63.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 NZ$801

$642 COP 2.0M

-29.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$683 NZ$1,202

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-66.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 NZ$1,114

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-37.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,985 NZ$7,013

$657 COP 2.1M

506.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Rarotonga: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rarotonga

–

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Groceries & Markets

Rarotonga

–

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rarotonga

–

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Eating Out

Rarotonga

–

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Rarotonga

–

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Getting Around

Rarotonga

–

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Rarotonga

–

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $446 in Rarotonga versus $1,208 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 in Rarotonga are about 6.1 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51 in Rarotonga versus $47 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $153 in Rarotonga vs $297 in Medellin – so Rarotonga wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇰 Rarotonga

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

21:01 9:01 PM

02:01 2:01 AM

5 h ahead of Rarotonga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,373

2,486,723

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.568 USD

1 NZD = 0.511 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.76 NZD (1 NZD = 0.568 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 NZD (1 NZD = 0.511 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rarotonga Medellin 9,660 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Rarotonga
Medellin

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

Rarotonga vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 47%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,676 per month in Rarotonga and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rarotonga, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $446 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 94% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51 in Rarotonga and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,117 in Rarotonga and $1,639 in Medellin. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,117 in Rarotonga to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.