Cost of Living Comparison Between Waihi and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Waihi and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,855 per month in Waihi vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,929 per month in Waihi vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,002 per month in Waihi vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Waihi costs about 79% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Waihi sits 39% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.24 NZ$25.90

$5.92 COP 21.5K

157.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.6 NZ$132

$32.75 COP 119.1K

136.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.53 NZ$16.20

$7.20 COP 26.2K

32.36%

Cappuccino

$3.38 NZ$5.75

$1.70 COP 6,186

98.82%

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

$2.36 NZ$4.01

$1.10 COP 3,996

114.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 NZ$3.54

$0.72 COP 2,625

188.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.33 NZ$12.46

$1.67 COP 6,067

338.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.21 NZ$10.56

$3.10 COP 11.3K

100.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 NZ$3.12

$1.06 COP 3,837

72.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 NZ$3.30

$1.25 COP 4,531

55.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 NZ$3.12

$1.39 COP 5,060

31.65%

Eggs

$6.13 NZ$10.41

$2.26 COP 8,229

171.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.27 NZ$14.07

$4.33 COP 15.8K

90.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 NZ$16.07

$5.84 COP 21.2K

61.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.89 NZ$21.91

$8.83 COP 32.1K

45.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 NZ$4.61

$2.24 COP 8,159

20.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 NZ$3.68

$1.08 COP 3,911

100.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 NZ$5.30

$1.53 COP 5,563

103.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 NZ$7.62

$1.37 COP 4,987

227.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 NZ$3.54

$1.13 COP 4,109

84.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 NZ$3.32

$1.12 COP 4,067

74.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 NZ$3.90

$0.85 COP 3,080

169.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NZ$1.96

$0.91 COP 3,305

26.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.66 NZ$40.22

$2.33 COP 8,477

915.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 NZ$17.61

$11.13 COP 40.5K

-6.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 NZ$4.39

$1.19 COP 4,342

116.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 NZ$6.15

$2.37 COP 8,617

52.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 NZ$3.62

$0.79 COP 2,859

169.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 NZ$110

$41.13 COP 149.6K

56.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 NZ$4.49

$1.44 COP 5,223

83.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 NZ$3.04

$1.91 COP 6,952

-6.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.70 NZ$60.7

$8.02 COP 29.2K

345.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.81

$0.94 COP 3,410

75.53%

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

$27.9K NZ$47.5K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

55.92%

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

$22.5K NZ$38.3K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-15.89%

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

$142 NZ$241

$84.0 COP 305.4K

68.53%

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

$35.90 NZ$61.0

$9.60 COP 34.9K

273.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 NZ$87.4

$24.16 COP 87.9K

112.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.70 NZ$62.4

$25.88 COP 94.1K

41.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.23 NZ$20.78

$19.04 COP 69.3K

-35.77%

Cinema Ticket

$10.64 NZ$18.08

$3.92 COP 14.2K

171.43%

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

$727 NZ$1,236

$306 COP 1.1M

137.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K NZ$20.4K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

102.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.3 NZ$114

$57.9 COP 210.6K

16.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.06 NZ$64.7

$31.82 COP 115.7K

19.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.6 NZ$164

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-3.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 NZ$201

$107 COP 389.7K

10.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$965 NZ$1,640

$487 COP 1.8M

98.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 NZ$1,350

$368 COP 1.3M

115.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 NZ$2,660

$826 COP 3.0M

89.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,412 NZ$2,400

$716 COP 2.6M

97.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,857 NZ$8,257

$2,925 COP 10.6M

66.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,067 NZ$5,214

$1,407 COP 5.1M

118.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 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 Waihi: April 28, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $965 in Waihi versus $487 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 Waihi versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $316 vs $190 – 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

Waihi vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Waihi is pricier by about 79%, 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 $2,782 per month in Waihi and $1,550 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 Waihi 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 $1,855 in Waihi and $1,034 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 $1,034, than in Waihi at $1,855. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Waihi 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, Waihi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.