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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,908 per month in Thames vs $1,031 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,931 per month in Thames vs $1,599 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,954 per month in Thames vs $2,167 in Medellin, rent included.

Thames costs about 85% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Thames sits 43% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.02 NZ$25.72

$6.16 COP 20.1K

143.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.1 NZ$134

$32.60 COP 106.1K

139.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.53 NZ$16.32

$7.34 COP 23.9K

29.84%

Cappuccino

$3.44 NZ$5.88

$1.72 COP 5,600

100.00%

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

$2.37 NZ$4.06

$1.05 COP 3,420

125.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 NZ$3.89

$0.77 COP 2,515

194.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 NZ$12.60

$1.69 COP 5,488

335.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 NZ$12.32

$3.17 COP 10.3K

127.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 NZ$3.09

$1.05 COP 3,423

72.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 NZ$3.51

$1.30 COP 4,236

57.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 NZ$3.42

$1.40 COP 4,544

42.86%

Eggs

$6.70 NZ$11.47

$2.16 COP 7,047

210.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.91 NZ$15.26

$4.39 COP 14.3K

102.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.69 NZ$16.59

$5.88 COP 19.1K

64.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.94 NZ$22.16

$8.64 COP 28.1K

49.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 NZ$4.78

$2.28 COP 7,426

22.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 NZ$3.87

$1.11 COP 3,604

103.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 NZ$5.57

$1.53 COP 4,983

112.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 NZ$6.99

$1.35 COP 4,410

202.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NZ$3.54

$1.13 COP 3,674

83.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 NZ$2.83

$1.13 COP 3,692

46.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 NZ$3.36

$0.85 COP 2,753

130.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 NZ$2.20

$0.91 COP 2,975

41.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.89 NZ$42.62

$2.34 COP 7,630

963.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.51 NZ$18.00

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-15.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 NZ$5.06

$1.20 COP 3,909

146.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 NZ$6.84

$2.49 COP 8,104

60.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 NZ$3.54

$0.84 COP 2,728

146.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.6 NZ$109

$40.57 COP 132.1K

56.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.07 NZ$3.55

$1.42 COP 4,623

45.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 NZ$3.45

$1.92 COP 6,235

5.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.06 NZ$60.0

$7.66 COP 24.9K

357.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.82

$0.99 COP 3,223

66.67%

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

$28.6K NZ$49.0K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

58.87%

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

$22.2K NZ$38.0K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

-16.69%

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

$141 NZ$241

$80.8 COP 263.1K

74.41%

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

$30.17 NZ$51.7

$9.95 COP 32.4K

203.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.69 NZ$85.1

$24.18 COP 78.7K

105.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.13 NZ$61.9

$25.08 COP 81.7K

44.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.14 NZ$20.78

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-36.61%

Cinema Ticket

$15.36 NZ$26.31

$3.98 COP 13.0K

285.93%

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

$909 NZ$1,557

$305 COP 993.5K

197.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K NZ$23.6K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

127.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 NZ$122

$58.1 COP 189.2K

22.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.32 NZ$84.4

$32.20 COP 104.8K

53.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.6 NZ$169

$101 COP 327.9K

-2.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 NZ$217

$108 COP 350.8K

17.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$991 NZ$1,696

$477 COP 1.6M

107.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 NZ$1,326

$376 COP 1.2M

105.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 NZ$2,724

$845 COP 2.7M

88.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 NZ$2,404

$730 COP 2.4M

92.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,297 NZ$7,357

$3,215 COP 10.5M

33.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,882 NZ$4,935

$1,372 COP 4.5M

110.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $991 in Thames versus $477 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 $78.0 in Thames versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $193 – 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 85%, 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 $2,863 per month in Thames and $1,546 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 $78.0 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 $1,908 in Thames and $1,031 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 $1,031, than in Thames at $1,908. 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.