Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waihi and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $1,911 in Waihi, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Waihi
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$1,911
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,911 per month in Waihi vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Waihi $1,911
  • Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $2,937 per month in Waihi vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Waihi $2,937
  • Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $3,963 per month in Waihi vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Waihi $3,963
  • Medellin $3,190

Waihi costs about 18% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Waihi and Medellin sit above the global median – Waihi by 42%, Medellin by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Waihi
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.00 NZ$21.22
$7.93 COP 25.2K
51.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.7 NZ$105
$46.13 COP 146.3K
29.31%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.35 NZ$14.77
$9.50 COP 30.1K
-12.11%
Cappuccino
$3.69 NZ$6.53
$3.11 COP 9,866
18.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 NZ$3.92
$1.83 COP 5,800
21.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 NZ$3.61
$1.38 COP 4,360
47.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.72 NZ$10.12
$3.05 COP 9,672
87.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.49 NZ$11.47
$5.50 COP 17.4K
18.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Waihi
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.93 NZ$3.41
$1.45 COP 4,600
33.10%
White Bread (500g)
$1.78 NZ$3.16
$2.36 COP 7,496
-24.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.62 NZ$2.86
$1.68 COP 5,328
-3.57%
Eggs
$5.12 NZ$9.06
$2.86 COP 9,077
79.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.35 NZ$16.53
$10.19 COP 32.3K
-8.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.53 NZ$15.09
$9.53 COP 30.2K
-10.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.78 NZ$22.60
$14.04 COP 44.5K
-8.97%
Apples (1kg)
$2.80 NZ$4.95
$4.07 COP 12.9K
-31.20%
Banana (1kg)
$2.25 NZ$3.98
$1.50 COP 4,742
50.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.16 NZ$5.59
$2.17 COP 6,891
45.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.86 NZ$10.36
$2.31 COP 7,310
153.68%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 NZ$3.49
$1.93 COP 6,113
2.07%
Onion (1kg)
$1.58 NZ$2.79
$1.64 COP 5,196
-3.66%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.32 NZ$4.10
$1.13 COP 3,571
105.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 NZ$1.97
$1.25 COP 3,954
-10.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$22.08 NZ$39.04
$3.99 COP 12.6K
453.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.83 NZ$17.38
$13.35 COP 42.3K
-26.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.03 NZ$5.35
$1.70 COP 5,384
78.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 NZ$5.55
$2.37 COP 7,525
32.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Waihi
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.93 NZ$3.41
$1.21 COP 3,827
59.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$85.1 NZ$151
$76.5 COP 242.5K
11.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.96 NZ$3.47
$1.32 COP 4,179
48.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.99 NZ$3.53
$2.14 COP 6,774
-7.01%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.15 NZ$48.02
$8.47 COP 26.8K
220.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.72 NZ$3.04
$1.30 COP 4,114
32.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.9K NZ$38.7K
$28.0K COP 88.7M
-21.76%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.8K NZ$35.0K
$35.4K COP 112.3M
-44.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Waihi
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$117 NZ$206
$172 COP 545.6K
-32.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$31.18 NZ$55.1
$13.37 COP 42.4K
133.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$56.0 NZ$99.1
$28.73 COP 91.1K
94.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Waihi
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.97 NZ$63.6
$45.24 COP 143.5K
-20.49%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.04 COP 54.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.32 NZ$20.02
$6.28 COP 19.9K
80.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Waihi
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$647 NZ$1,144
$770 COP 2.4M
-16.02%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K NZ$29.6K
$9,011 COP 28.6M
85.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Waihi
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.9 NZ$101
$86.4 COP 274.0K
-34.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.94 NZ$68.9
$57.1 COP 181.1K
-31.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 NZ$187
$137 COP 432.9K
-22.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 NZ$190
$97.9 COP 310.4K
9.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Waihi
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,031 NZ$1,823
$1,055 COP 3.3M
-2.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$865 NZ$1,530
$616 COP 2.0M
40.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,621 NZ$2,867
$1,892 COP 6.0M
-14.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,616 NZ$2,858
$1,023 COP 3.2M
57.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,404 NZ$7,789
$4,059 COP 12.9M
8.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,353 NZ$5,929
$1,678 COP 5.3M
99.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Waihi
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$652 COP 2.1M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
10.94
-49.09%

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

Last update for Waihi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Waihi
$865
Medellin
$616 28.8% $249
Groceries & Markets
Waihi
$315
Medellin
$295 6.6% $21
Eating Out
Waihi
$224
Medellin
$168 24.8% $56
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Waihi
$204
Medellin
$214 5.1% $10
Clothing & Footwear
Waihi
$139
Medellin
$170 22.3% $31
Getting Around
Waihi
$105
Medellin
$93 10.9% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Waihi
$59
Medellin
$58 1.4% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,031 in Waihi versus $1,055 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 $60.0 in Waihi versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $315 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇿 Waihi
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
12:25 12:25 PM
18:25 6:25 PM
18 h behind Waihi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,700
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Waihi Medellin 12,070 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Waihi
  • 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
Waihi vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Waihi?
Yes – Waihi is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,866 per month in Waihi and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Is eating out cheaper in Waihi or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Waihi and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Waihi and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,911 in Waihi and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 18%.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Waihi or in Medellin?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Waihi at $1,911. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Waihi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Waihi or Medellin more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Waihi or Medellin?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
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.

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