Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tauranga and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,123 in Tauranga, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Tauranga
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Tauranga Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Tauranga

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,123

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tauranga 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 Tauranga and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,123 per month in Tauranga vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Tauranga $2,123
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $2,894 per month in Tauranga vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Tauranga $2,894
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $3,666 per month in Tauranga vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Tauranga $3,666
Medellin $3,190

Tauranga costs about 32% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Tauranga and Medellin sit above the global median – Tauranga by 57%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.92 NZ$24.62

$7.93 COP 25.2K

75.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 NZ$119

$46.13 COP 146.3K

45.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.85 NZ$15.66

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-6.84%

Cappuccino

$3.39 NZ$6.00

$3.11 COP 9,866

9.00%

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

$1.83 NZ$3.23

$1.83 COP 5,800

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 NZ$3.16

$1.38 COP 4,360

29.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 NZ$8.02

$3.05 COP 9,672

48.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 NZ$10.12

$5.50 COP 17.4K

4.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 NZ$3.47

$1.45 COP 4,600

35.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 NZ$3.34

$2.36 COP 7,496

-19.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 NZ$2.83

$1.68 COP 5,328

-4.76%

Eggs

$6.16 NZ$10.90

$2.86 COP 9,077

115.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.02 NZ$14.19

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-21.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 NZ$16.48

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-2.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 NZ$20.07

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-19.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 NZ$4.35

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-39.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 NZ$3.75

$1.50 COP 4,742

41.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 NZ$3.97

$2.17 COP 6,891

3.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 NZ$8.51

$2.31 COP 7,310

108.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 NZ$3.13

$1.93 COP 6,113

-8.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 NZ$2.11

$1.64 COP 5,196

-26.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 NZ$3.58

$1.13 COP 3,571

79.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 NZ$1.93

$1.25 COP 3,954

-12.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.00 NZ$35.38

$3.99 COP 12.6K

401.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.62 NZ$15.25

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-35.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 NZ$3.70

$1.70 COP 5,384

22.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 NZ$5.76

$2.37 COP 7,525

37.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 NZ$3.03

$1.21 COP 3,827

41.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.27 NZ$4.01

$1.32 COP 4,179

71.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 NZ$3.41

$2.14 COP 6,774

-9.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.43 NZ$55.6

$8.47 COP 26.8K

271.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 NZ$3.02

$1.30 COP 4,114

31.54%

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

$25.0K NZ$44.2K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-10.76%

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

$21.7K NZ$38.3K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-38.79%

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

$114 NZ$202

$172 COP 545.6K

-33.65%

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

$26.75 NZ$47.31

$13.37 COP 42.4K

100.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 NZ$89.0

$28.73 COP 91.1K

75.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 NZ$97.5

$45.24 COP 143.5K

21.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.97 NZ$30.00

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-0.41%

Cinema Ticket

$11.16 NZ$19.74

$6.28 COP 19.9K

77.71%

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

$717 NZ$1,268

$770 COP 2.4M

-6.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K NZ$19.5K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

22.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 NZ$116

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-24.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.15 NZ$65.7

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-34.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 NZ$160

$137 COP 432.9K

-33.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 NZ$191

$97.9 COP 310.4K

10.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 NZ$1,914

$1,055 COP 3.3M

2.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 NZ$2,082

$616 COP 2.0M

91.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 NZ$2,813

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-15.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 NZ$2,563

$1,023 COP 3.2M

41.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,680 NZ$8,276

$4,059 COP 12.9M

15.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,247 NZ$3,974

$1,678 COP 5.3M

33.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,951 NZ$5,219

$652 COP 2.1M

352.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

10.94

-50.91%

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

Last update for Tauranga: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tauranga

$1.2K 55.5%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 47.7% $561

Groceries & Markets

Tauranga

$295 13.9%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 0.3% $0.8

Eating Out

Tauranga

$227 10.7%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 25.9% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tauranga

$191 9%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 12% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Tauranga

$136 6.4%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 25.4% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Tauranga

$77 3.7%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 25.3% $20

Getting Around

Tauranga

$19 * 0.9%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 397% $75

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,083 in Tauranga versus $1,055 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 352% higher in Tauranga, 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 $67.0 in Tauranga versus $46.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $295 in Tauranga vs $295 in Medellin – so Tauranga wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Tauranga

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

08:35 8:35 AM

14:35 2:35 PM

18 h behind Tauranga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

155,200

2,486,723

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tauranga Medellin 12,030 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Tauranga
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

Tauranga vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tauranga is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,184 per month in Tauranga and $2,421 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 $67.0 in Tauranga and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 0% more in Tauranga, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Tauranga at $2,123. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tauranga 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, Tauranga makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.