Cost of Living Comparison Between Thames and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Thames and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,866 per month in Thames vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,899 per month in Thames vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Thames vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Thames costs about 84% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Thames sits 39% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.94 NZ$25.23

$5.99 COP 21.4K

149.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 NZ$130

$32.86 COP 117.4K

134.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.40 NZ$15.88

$7.09 COP 25.3K

32.58%

Cappuccino

$3.38 NZ$5.70

$1.71 COP 6,115

97.66%

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

$2.28 NZ$3.86

$1.10 COP 3,924

107.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 NZ$3.73

$0.78 COP 2,781

183.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.30 NZ$12.33

$1.68 COP 5,997

334.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 NZ$12.11

$3.07 COP 11.0K

133.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 NZ$2.94

$1.09 COP 3,906

59.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 NZ$3.54

$1.26 COP 4,508

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 NZ$3.42

$1.38 COP 4,922

47.10%

Eggs

$6.82 NZ$11.51

$2.19 COP 7,827

211.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.89 NZ$15.00

$4.40 COP 15.7K

102.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 NZ$16.35

$5.63 COP 20.1K

71.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 NZ$22.25

$8.89 COP 31.8K

48.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 NZ$4.95

$2.34 COP 8,349

25.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 NZ$3.81

$1.06 COP 3,777

113.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 NZ$5.63

$1.50 COP 5,374

122.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 NZ$6.72

$1.38 COP 4,924

188.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NZ$3.50

$1.15 COP 4,111

80.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 NZ$2.78

$1.16 COP 4,155

42.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 NZ$3.20

$0.89 COP 3,182

112.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 NZ$2.15

$0.84 COP 2,997

52.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.49 NZ$43.03

$2.28 COP 8,145

1017.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.01 NZ$16.91

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-5.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 NZ$4.99

$1.20 COP 4,284

145.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 NZ$6.52

$2.47 COP 8,824

56.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 NZ$3.59

$0.86 COP 3,056

147.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 NZ$108

$41.40 COP 147.9K

54.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 NZ$3.62

$1.47 COP 5,264

46.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NZ$3.25

$1.96 COP 7,009

-2.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.69 NZ$58.6

$7.74 COP 27.6K

348.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.78

$0.95 COP 3,409

73.68%

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

$28.4K NZ$48.0K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

56.66%

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

$22.3K NZ$37.6K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-15.94%

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

$141 NZ$239

$82.3 COP 293.7K

71.76%

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

$30.14 NZ$50.9

$9.50 COP 33.9K

217.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.45 NZ$81.8

$24.23 COP 86.5K

99.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.47 NZ$61.6

$25.89 COP 92.4K

40.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.89 NZ$20.08

$19.00 COP 67.9K

-37.42%

Cinema Ticket

$15.18 NZ$25.63

$3.93 COP 14.0K

286.26%

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

$900 NZ$1,519

$309 COP 1.1M

190.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K NZ$22.8K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

126.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 NZ$117

$58.7 COP 209.5K

18.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.36 NZ$83.3

$32.35 COP 115.5K

52.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.8 NZ$163

$103 COP 366.4K

-5.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 NZ$212

$108 COP 387.2K

15.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 NZ$1,653

$476 COP 1.7M

105.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 NZ$1,305

$379 COP 1.4M

104.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,545 NZ$2,608

$838 COP 3.0M

84.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 NZ$2,434

$724 COP 2.6M

99.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,612 NZ$7,786

$2,791 COP 10.0M

65.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,448 NZ$5,821

$1,211 COP 4.3M

184.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

13.43

-52.57%

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

Last update for Thames: May 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Thames 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Thames versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 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

Thames vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Thames is pricier by about 84%, 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 $2,799 per month in Thames 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 $77.0 in Thames 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 $1,866 in Thames 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 Thames at $1,866. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Thames 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, Thames makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.