Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Upper Hutt and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,952 in Upper Hutt, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Upper Hutt
Learn more

Upper Hutt Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Upper Hutt

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,952

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,952 per month in Upper Hutt vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Upper Hutt $1,952
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $2,954 per month in Upper Hutt vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Upper Hutt $2,954
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $3,956 per month in Upper Hutt vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Upper Hutt $3,956
Medellin $3,186

Upper Hutt costs about 19% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Upper Hutt and Medellin sit above the global median – Upper Hutt by 43%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.58 NZ$15.24

$8.09 COP 26.1K

6.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.9 NZ$103

$47.05 COP 151.7K

23.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.66 NZ$15.37

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-8.84%

Cappuccino

$2.92 NZ$5.18

$3.01 COP 9,722

-2.99%

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

$2.39 NZ$4.25

$1.80 COP 5,801

32.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 NZ$3.09

$1.41 COP 4,554

23.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.58 NZ$13.46

$3.18 COP 10.2K

138.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 NZ$11.79

$5.75 COP 18.5K

15.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 NZ$3.31

$1.51 COP 4,869

23.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 NZ$3.86

$2.38 COP 7,667

-8.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 NZ$3.31

$1.77 COP 5,712

5.08%

Eggs

$7.09 NZ$12.58

$2.89 COP 9,320

145.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.51 NZ$9.78

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-45.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 NZ$17.08

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-2.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.38 NZ$27.30

$13.99 COP 45.1K

9.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 NZ$5.63

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-20.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 NZ$4.02

$1.55 COP 5,005

45.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 NZ$5.58

$2.18 COP 7,039

44.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.41 NZ$11.38

$2.18 COP 7,041

194.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 NZ$3.85

$1.96 COP 6,328

10.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 NZ$2.31

$1.59 COP 5,125

-18.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 NZ$3.69

$1.15 COP 3,694

80.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NZ$2.05

$1.24 COP 4,009

-7.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.44 NZ$45.17

$3.96 COP 12.8K

542.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.31 NZ$20.09

$13.68 COP 44.1K

-17.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 NZ$5.67

$1.66 COP 5,352

92.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 NZ$4.92

$2.26 COP 7,281

22.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 NZ$3.36

$1.17 COP 3,766

61.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 NZ$187

$77.4 COP 249.5K

36.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 NZ$3.23

$1.27 COP 4,089

43.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NZ$3.27

$2.05 COP 6,603

-10.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.32 NZ$60.9

$8.55 COP 27.6K

301.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 NZ$3.24

$1.35 COP 4,343

35.56%

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

$28.5K NZ$50.6K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-16.34%

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

$23.2K NZ$41.2K

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-33.12%

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

$113 NZ$201

$170 COP 547.0K

-33.16%

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

$25.35 NZ$45.01

$13.55 COP 43.7K

87.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.8 NZ$97.2

$28.07 COP 90.5K

95.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.80 NZ$76.0

$43.70 COP 140.9K

-2.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

Cinema Ticket

$12.16 NZ$21.59

$6.91 COP 22.3K

75.98%

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

$1,064 NZ$1,890

$797 COP 2.6M

33.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K NZ$23.6K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

45.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.6 NZ$140

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-7.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.83 NZ$51.2

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-50.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NZ$185

$135 COP 435.2K

-22.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 NZ$276

$97.9 COP 315.6K

59.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,057 NZ$1,877

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-12.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 NZ$1,542

$642 COP 2.1M

35.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,498 NZ$2,659

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-26.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,531 NZ$2,719

$1,012 COP 3.3M

51.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,193 NZ$7,444

$4,170 COP 13.4M

0.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,357 NZ$5,960

$1,910 COP 6.2M

75.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

10.94

-50.73%

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

Last update for Upper Hutt: October 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Upper Hutt

$869 44.5%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 26.1% $227

Groceries & Markets

Upper Hutt

$336 17.2%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 11.7% $39

Eating Out

Upper Hutt

$197 10.1%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 14.1% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Upper Hutt

$194 9.9%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 9.2% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Upper Hutt

$165 8.5%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 2.2% $3.7

Getting Around

Upper Hutt

$124 6.3%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 24.5% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Upper Hutt

$67 3.4%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 14.3% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,057 in Upper Hutt 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 $58 in Upper Hutt versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $336 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Upper Hutt

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

12:13 12:13 PM

18:13 6:13 PM

18 h behind Upper Hutt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,600

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 = 2.78 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 1, 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Upper Hutt Medellin 12,080 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Upper Hutt
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

Upper Hutt vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Upper Hutt is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,928 per month in Upper Hutt and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Upper Hutt, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,057 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58 in Upper Hutt and $47 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 $1,952 in Upper Hutt and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 16% cheaper.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,952 in Upper Hutt 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 $1,952 in Upper Hutt. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.