Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Timaru and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,992 in Timaru, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Timaru
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Timaru Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Timaru

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,992

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,992 per month in Timaru vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Timaru $1,992
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Timaru vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Timaru $3,048
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $4,104 per month in Timaru vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Timaru $4,104
Medellin $3,186

Timaru costs about 21% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Timaru and Medellin sit above the global median – Timaru by 46%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.41 NZ$25.62

$8.09 COP 26.1K

78.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 NZ$109

$47.05 COP 151.9K

30.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 NZ$19.32

$9.50 COP 30.7K

14.42%

Cappuccino

$3.29 NZ$5.85

$3.01 COP 9,735

9.30%

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

$2.13 NZ$3.78

$1.80 COP 5,809

18.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 NZ$3.16

$1.41 COP 4,561

26.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 NZ$10.12

$3.18 COP 10.3K

79.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.12 NZ$10.87

$5.75 COP 18.6K

6.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 NZ$2.05

$1.51 COP 4,876

-23.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 NZ$3.18

$2.38 COP 7,678

-24.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 NZ$1.99

$1.77 COP 5,720

-36.72%

Eggs

$5.98 NZ$10.62

$2.89 COP 9,333

106.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 NZ$14.72

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-18.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 NZ$16.37

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-6.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.69 NZ$29.66

$13.99 COP 45.2K

19.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 NZ$5.21

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-26.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 NZ$4.29

$1.55 COP 5,012

56.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 NZ$5.64

$2.18 COP 7,048

45.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.25 NZ$9.33

$2.18 COP 7,051

140.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 NZ$3.30

$1.96 COP 6,337

-5.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 NZ$3.29

$1.59 COP 5,132

16.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 NZ$4.13

$1.15 COP 3,699

101.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 NZ$0.98

$1.24 COP 4,014

-55.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.06 NZ$37.44

$3.96 COP 12.8K

431.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 NZ$9.91

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-59.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 NZ$5.64

$1.66 COP 5,359

90.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 NZ$2.23

$2.26 COP 7,291

-44.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 NZ$3.45

$1.17 COP 3,771

65.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 NZ$196

$77.4 COP 249.8K

42.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 NZ$3.97

$1.27 COP 4,094

75.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 NZ$3.18

$2.05 COP 6,612

-12.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.93 NZ$51.4

$8.55 COP 27.6K

238.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 NZ$2.76

$1.35 COP 4,349

15.56%

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

$28.5K NZ$50.6K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-16.40%

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

$22.9K NZ$40.8K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-33.82%

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

$113 NZ$201

$170 COP 547.8K

-33.32%

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

$22.85 NZ$40.63

$13.55 COP 43.8K

68.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 NZ$93.3

$28.07 COP 90.6K

86.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.92 NZ$71.0

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-8.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 NZ$20.25

$6.91 COP 22.3K

64.83%

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

$590 NZ$1,048

$797 COP 2.6M

-25.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K NZ$28.6K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

76.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 NZ$106

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-29.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.10 NZ$62.4

$58.0 COP 187.2K

-39.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 NZ$162

$135 COP 435.8K

-32.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 NZ$244

$97.9 COP 316.0K

40.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 NZ$1,970

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-8.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$921 NZ$1,637

$642 COP 2.1M

43.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,790 NZ$3,182

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-11.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 NZ$2,975

$1,012 COP 3.3M

65.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,547 NZ$8,083

$4,170 COP 13.5M

9.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,866 NZ$5,094

$1,910 COP 6.2M

50.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

10.94

-35.37%

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

Last update for Timaru: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Timaru

$921 46.2%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 30.3% $279

Groceries & Markets

Timaru

$302 15.1%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 1.5% $4.5

Eating Out

Timaru

$244 12.2%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 30.4% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Timaru

$188 9.5%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 12.1% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Timaru

$145 7.3%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 16.4% $24

Getting Around

Timaru

$129 6.5%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 27.5% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Timaru

$63 3.2%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 8.3% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,108 in Timaru versus $1,208 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 $61 in Timaru versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $302 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Timaru

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

18:55 6:55 PM

00:55 12:55 AM

18 h behind Timaru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,600

2,486,723

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Timaru Medellin 12,320 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Timaru
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

Timaru vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Timaru is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,987 per month in Timaru and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,108 in Timaru and $1,208 in Medellin. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Timaru and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,992 in Timaru and $1,639 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $1,992 in Timaru. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.