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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,072 per month in Timaru vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,190 per month in Timaru vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,308 per month in Timaru vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Timaru costs about 105% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Timaru sits 55% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.97 NZ$25.27

$5.99 COP 21.4K

149.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.8 NZ$131

$32.86 COP 117.4K

136.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.46 NZ$15.97

$7.09 COP 25.3K

33.43%

Cappuccino

$3.44 NZ$5.81

$1.71 COP 6,115

101.17%

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

$2.17 NZ$3.67

$1.10 COP 3,924

97.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 NZ$3.28

$0.78 COP 2,781

148.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 NZ$10.06

$1.68 COP 5,997

254.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.95 NZ$10.05

$3.07 COP 11.0K

93.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 NZ$2.66

$1.09 COP 3,906

44.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 NZ$3.16

$1.26 COP 4,508

48.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 NZ$1.98

$1.38 COP 4,922

-14.49%

Eggs

$6.53 NZ$11.02

$2.19 COP 7,827

198.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.80 NZ$16.55

$4.40 COP 15.7K

122.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.89 NZ$18.39

$5.63 COP 20.1K

93.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.40 NZ$27.68

$8.89 COP 31.8K

84.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 NZ$4.33

$2.34 COP 8,349

9.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 NZ$4.27

$1.06 COP 3,777

138.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 NZ$5.15

$1.50 COP 5,374

103.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.85 NZ$9.88

$1.38 COP 4,924

323.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 NZ$4.46

$1.15 COP 4,111

129.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 NZ$4.02

$1.16 COP 4,155

105.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.94 NZ$4.97

$0.89 COP 3,182

230.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 NZ$1.88

$0.84 COP 2,997

32.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.77 NZ$48.56

$2.28 COP 8,145

1161.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.27 NZ$12.27

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-31.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.83 NZ$8.16

$1.20 COP 4,284

302.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 NZ$12.01

$2.47 COP 8,824

187.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 NZ$3.60

$0.86 COP 3,056

147.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.9 NZ$108

$41.40 COP 147.9K

54.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 NZ$4.69

$1.47 COP 5,264

89.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 NZ$1.92

$1.96 COP 7,009

-41.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.79 NZ$53.7

$7.74 COP 27.6K

310.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 NZ$2.80

$0.95 COP 3,409

74.74%

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

$29.4K NZ$49.7K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

62.20%

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

$17.7K NZ$29.9K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-33.20%

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

$191 NZ$322

$82.3 COP 293.7K

131.99%

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

$23.74 NZ$40.08

$9.50 COP 33.9K

149.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 NZ$101

$24.23 COP 86.5K

147.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.24 NZ$61.2

$25.89 COP 92.4K

39.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.23 NZ$20.65

$19.00 COP 67.9K

-35.63%

Cinema Ticket

$13.53 NZ$22.84

$3.93 COP 14.0K

244.27%

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

$492 NZ$831

$309 COP 1.1M

59.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,030 NZ$11.9K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

17.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 NZ$146

$58.7 COP 209.5K

47.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.33 NZ$83.3

$32.35 COP 115.5K

52.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 NZ$162

$103 COP 366.4K

-6.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$279 NZ$471

$108 COP 387.2K

157.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$976 NZ$1,648

$476 COP 1.7M

105.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$801 NZ$1,352

$379 COP 1.4M

111.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,553 NZ$2,622

$838 COP 3.0M

85.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 NZ$2,452

$724 COP 2.6M

100.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,560 NZ$7,698

$2,791 COP 10.0M

63.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,465 NZ$5,850

$1,211 COP 4.3M

186.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $976 in Timaru 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 $78.0 in Timaru versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $359 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

Timaru vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Timaru is pricier by about 105%, 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 $3,107 per month in Timaru 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 $78.0 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 $2,072 in Timaru 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 Timaru at $2,072. 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.