Cost of Living Comparison Between Waitakere and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Waitakere and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,905 per month in Waitakere vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,943 per month in Waitakere vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,980 per month in Waitakere vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Waitakere costs about 84% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Waitakere sits 42% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.93 NZ$25.53

$5.92 COP 21.4K

152.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.4 NZ$134

$32.75 COP 118.2K

139.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 NZ$16.11

$7.20 COP 26.0K

30.83%

Cappuccino

$3.37 NZ$5.76

$1.70 COP 6,140

98.24%

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

$2.32 NZ$3.97

$1.10 COP 3,966

110.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 NZ$3.62

$0.72 COP 2,605

194.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.02 NZ$12.01

$1.67 COP 6,022

320.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.23 NZ$10.66

$3.10 COP 11.2K

100.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 NZ$3.20

$1.06 COP 3,809

76.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 NZ$3.43

$1.25 COP 4,497

60.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 NZ$3.15

$1.39 COP 5,022

32.37%

Eggs

$6.17 NZ$10.56

$2.26 COP 8,168

173.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 NZ$14.22

$4.33 COP 15.6K

92.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.77 NZ$16.71

$5.84 COP 21.1K

67.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 NZ$22.31

$8.83 COP 31.9K

47.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 NZ$4.79

$2.24 COP 8,099

25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 NZ$3.72

$1.08 COP 3,882

101.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 NZ$5.37

$1.53 COP 5,522

105.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 NZ$7.73

$1.37 COP 4,950

229.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NZ$3.52

$1.13 COP 4,078

82.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.24

$1.12 COP 4,036

68.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 NZ$3.78

$0.85 COP 3,057

160.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 NZ$1.88

$0.91 COP 3,281

20.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.39 NZ$41.72

$2.33 COP 8,414

946.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.69 NZ$14.86

$11.13 COP 40.2K

-21.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 NZ$4.28

$1.19 COP 4,309

110.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 NZ$6.36

$2.37 COP 8,553

56.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.08 NZ$3.56

$0.79 COP 2,838

163.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 NZ$108

$41.13 COP 148.5K

53.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 NZ$4.74

$1.44 COP 5,184

92.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NZ$3.15

$1.91 COP 6,901

-3.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.13 NZ$60.1

$8.02 COP 28.9K

338.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.82

$0.94 COP 3,385

75.53%

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

$28.8K NZ$49.2K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

60.60%

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

$22.3K NZ$38.2K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

-16.61%

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

$140 NZ$240

$84.0 COP 303.1K

67.29%

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

$35.39 NZ$60.5

$9.60 COP 34.7K

268.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 NZ$88.6

$24.16 COP 87.2K

114.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.52 NZ$64.2

$25.88 COP 93.4K

44.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.00 NZ$20.52

$19.04 COP 68.7K

-36.97%

Cinema Ticket

$10.70 NZ$18.31

$3.92 COP 14.1K

172.96%

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

$732 NZ$1,251

$306 COP 1.1M

138.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K NZ$21.0K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

107.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 NZ$117

$57.9 COP 209.1K

17.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.24 NZ$63.7

$31.82 COP 114.9K

17.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 NZ$162

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-4.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 NZ$201

$107 COP 386.8K

9.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$965 NZ$1,651

$487 COP 1.8M

98.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$799 NZ$1,366

$368 COP 1.3M

117.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 NZ$2,702

$826 COP 3.0M

91.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 NZ$2,405

$716 COP 2.6M

96.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,221 NZ$8,929

$2,925 COP 10.6M

78.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,391 NZ$5,799

$1,407 COP 5.1M

141.07%

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 Waitakere: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $965 in Waitakere 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 Waitakere versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $315 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

Waitakere vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Waitakere is pricier by about 84%, 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 $2,857 per month in Waitakere 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 Waitakere 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 $1,905 in Waitakere 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 Waitakere at $1,905. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Waitakere 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, Waitakere makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.