Cost of Living Comparison Between Timaru and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Timaru and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,076 per month in Timaru vs $1,031 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,132 per month in Timaru vs $1,599 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,188 per month in Timaru vs $2,167 in Medellin, rent included.

Timaru costs about 101% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Timaru sits 55% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 NZ$25.96

$6.16 COP 20.1K

146.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 NZ$136

$32.60 COP 106.1K

143.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.76 NZ$16.72

$7.34 COP 23.9K

32.97%

Cappuccino

$3.39 NZ$5.80

$1.72 COP 5,600

97.09%

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

$2.20 NZ$3.76

$1.05 COP 3,420

109.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 NZ$3.36

$0.77 COP 2,515

154.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.01 NZ$10.28

$1.69 COP 5,488

255.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 NZ$10.09

$3.17 COP 10.3K

85.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 NZ$2.81

$1.05 COP 3,423

56.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 NZ$3.34

$1.30 COP 4,236

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 NZ$2.05

$1.40 COP 4,544

-14.29%

Eggs

$6.32 NZ$10.82

$2.16 COP 7,047

192.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.09 NZ$17.28

$4.39 COP 14.3K

129.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.54 NZ$18.05

$5.88 COP 19.1K

79.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.82 NZ$28.80

$8.64 COP 28.1K

94.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 NZ$4.31

$2.28 COP 7,426

10.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 NZ$4.17

$1.11 COP 3,604

119.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 NZ$5.29

$1.53 COP 4,983

101.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.84 NZ$9.99

$1.35 COP 4,410

332.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 NZ$4.47

$1.13 COP 3,674

130.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 NZ$4.04

$1.13 COP 3,692

108.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 NZ$4.99

$0.85 COP 2,753

242.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 NZ$1.99

$0.91 COP 2,975

27.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.22 NZ$50.0

$2.34 COP 7,630

1148.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.09 NZ$12.14

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-42.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.63 NZ$7.92

$1.20 COP 3,909

285.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 NZ$11.87

$2.49 COP 8,104

178.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 NZ$3.71

$0.84 COP 2,728

158.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.0 NZ$108

$40.57 COP 132.1K

55.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 NZ$4.94

$1.42 COP 4,623

102.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 NZ$1.88

$1.92 COP 6,235

-42.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.24 NZ$55.2

$7.66 COP 24.9K

320.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 NZ$2.74

$0.99 COP 3,223

61.62%

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

$30.2K NZ$51.7K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

67.62%

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

$17.8K NZ$30.5K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

-33.16%

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

$191 NZ$328

$80.8 COP 263.1K

136.89%

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

$23.77 NZ$40.70

$9.95 COP 32.4K

138.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.1 NZ$103

$24.18 COP 78.7K

148.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.44 NZ$64.1

$25.08 COP 81.7K

49.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.01 NZ$20.57

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-37.28%

Cinema Ticket

$13.01 NZ$22.27

$3.98 COP 13.0K

226.88%

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

$502 NZ$860

$305 COP 993.5K

64.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,932 NZ$11.9K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

14.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.2 NZ$149

$58.1 COP 189.2K

50.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 NZ$85.8

$32.20 COP 104.8K

55.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 NZ$166

$101 COP 327.9K

-3.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$282 NZ$483

$108 COP 350.8K

161.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$981 NZ$1,680

$477 COP 1.6M

105.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$787 NZ$1,347

$376 COP 1.2M

109.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 NZ$2,705

$845 COP 2.7M

87.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 NZ$2,456

$730 COP 2.4M

96.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,862 NZ$8,324

$3,215 COP 10.5M

51.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,369 NZ$5,769

$1,372 COP 4.5M

145.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

13.43

-49.81%

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

Last update for Timaru: July 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $981 in Timaru 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 $79.0 in Timaru versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $357 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

Timaru vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Timaru is pricier by about 101%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,113 per month in Timaru 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 $79.0 in Timaru 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 $2,076 in Timaru 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 Timaru at $2,076. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Timaru 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, Timaru makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.