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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,917 per month in Timaru vs $1,681 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,928 per month in Timaru vs $2,445 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,939 per month in Timaru vs $3,210 in Medellin, rent included.

Timaru costs about 14% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Timaru and Medellin sit above the global median – Timaru by 40%, Medellin by 23%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.41 NZ$25.18

$8.02 COP 25.0K

79.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 NZ$111

$47.87 COP 149.4K

32.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.17 NZ$19.53

$9.89 COP 30.8K

12.94%

Cappuccino

$3.38 NZ$5.91

$3.13 COP 9,767

7.99%

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

$2.11 NZ$3.69

$1.91 COP 5,954

10.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 NZ$3.19

$1.51 COP 4,712

21.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 NZ$10.06

$3.12 COP 9,747

84.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 NZ$11.43

$5.75 COP 17.9K

13.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 NZ$1.96

$1.44 COP 4,509

-22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 NZ$3.19

$2.49 COP 7,759

-26.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 NZ$2.06

$1.77 COP 5,535

-33.33%

Eggs

$5.87 NZ$10.26

$2.96 COP 9,235

98.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.71 NZ$15.23

$10.07 COP 31.4K

-13.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.58 NZ$16.74

$10.12 COP 31.6K

-5.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.05 NZ$29.81

$14.30 COP 44.6K

19.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 NZ$5.32

$4.14 COP 12.9K

-26.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 NZ$4.21

$1.61 COP 5,019

49.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 NZ$5.65

$2.25 COP 7,007

43.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.09 NZ$8.90

$2.25 COP 7,028

126.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.27

$2.04 COP 6,375

-8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 NZ$3.33

$1.54 COP 4,790

23.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 NZ$4.07

$1.17 COP 3,651

99.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 NZ$0.99

$1.31 COP 4,077

-57.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.33 NZ$37.28

$3.90 COP 12.2K

446.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.93 NZ$10.36

$14.01 COP 43.7K

-57.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 NZ$5.80

$1.74 COP 5,439

90.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 NZ$2.13

$2.87 COP 8,956

-57.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 NZ$3.06

$1.22 COP 3,792

43.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.8 NZ$152

$80.5 COP 251.1K

7.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.33 NZ$4.07

$1.31 COP 4,084

77.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 NZ$3.21

$2.19 COP 6,825

-16.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.99 NZ$50.7

$8.71 COP 27.2K

232.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 NZ$2.67

$1.37 COP 4,260

11.68%

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

$25.7K NZ$45.0K

$27.8K COP 86.9M

-7.51%

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

$25.6K NZ$44.8K

$35.8K COP 111.6M

-28.34%

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

$114 NZ$200

$177 COP 553.2K

-35.61%

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

$23.35 NZ$40.82

$13.88 COP 43.3K

68.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 NZ$95.2

$29.72 COP 92.8K

83.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.22 NZ$70.3

$44.88 COP 140.1K

-10.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$10.63 NZ$18.58

$6.65 COP 20.7K

59.85%

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

$594 NZ$1,039

$813 COP 2.5M

-26.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K NZ$20.9K

$9,187 COP 28.7M

30.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 NZ$107

$89.5 COP 279.3K

-31.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.99 NZ$62.9

$59.0 COP 184.0K

-38.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 NZ$163

$138 COP 431.2K

-32.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 NZ$247

$102 COP 318.7K

38.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 NZ$1,831

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-1.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$915 NZ$1,599

$663 COP 2.1M

38.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 NZ$2,738

$1,888 COP 5.9M

-17.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,510 NZ$2,640

$1,027 COP 3.2M

47.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,274 NZ$7,471

$4,183 COP 13.1M

2.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,025 NZ$5,289

$1,675 COP 5.2M

80.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Timaru versus $1,062 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 $63.0 in Timaru versus $48.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $305 – 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 14%, 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 $2,875 per month in Timaru and $2,521 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 $63.0 in Timaru and $48.00 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 $1,917 in Timaru and $1,681 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,681, than in Timaru at $1,917. 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.