Cost of Living Comparison Between Whakatane and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Whakatane and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,813 per month in Whakatane vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,816 per month in Whakatane vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,820 per month in Whakatane vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

Whakatane costs about 78% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Whakatane sits 35% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.06 NZ$25.71

$5.95 COP 20.8K

153.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.7 NZ$124

$33.33 COP 116.3K

117.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 NZ$15.77

$7.23 COP 25.2K

27.66%

Cappuccino

$3.41 NZ$5.82

$1.63 COP 5,687

109.20%

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

$2.32 NZ$3.97

$1.09 COP 3,821

112.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 NZ$3.89

$0.73 COP 2,548

212.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.50 NZ$11.10

$1.74 COP 6,065

273.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 NZ$11.49

$3.23 COP 11.3K

108.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 NZ$3.00

$1.05 COP 3,662

67.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 NZ$1.72

$1.29 COP 4,515

-21.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 NZ$3.30

$1.32 COP 4,617

46.21%

Eggs

$5.80 NZ$9.91

$2.27 COP 7,927

155.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 NZ$12.79

$4.35 COP 15.2K

72.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 NZ$16.43

$5.88 COP 20.5K

63.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 NZ$22.57

$8.61 COP 30.0K

53.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 NZ$4.62

$2.25 COP 7,844

20.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 NZ$3.72

$1.07 COP 3,733

103.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 NZ$5.78

$1.52 COP 5,322

122.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 NZ$7.03

$1.42 COP 4,964

190.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 NZ$3.39

$1.17 COP 4,084

69.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 NZ$2.88

$1.17 COP 4,077

44.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 NZ$3.28

$0.89 COP 3,096

115.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 NZ$2.02

$0.90 COP 3,146

31.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.00 NZ$42.69

$2.25 COP 7,837

1011.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.67 NZ$14.80

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-21.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 NZ$2.62

$1.14 COP 3,977

34.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 NZ$2.12

$2.38 COP 8,301

-47.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 NZ$3.52

$0.84 COP 2,916

145.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 NZ$108

$41.95 COP 146.4K

50.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 NZ$3.69

$1.41 COP 4,912

53.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NZ$3.28

$1.90 COP 6,634

1.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.62 NZ$59.1

$7.75 COP 27.0K

346.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 NZ$2.88

$1.01 COP 3,509

67.33%

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

$28.2K NZ$48.1K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

60.31%

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

$9,803 NZ$16.7K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-63.00%

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

$128 NZ$218

$83.7 COP 292.1K

52.53%

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

$30.40 NZ$51.9

$9.45 COP 33.0K

221.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.48 NZ$79.4

$24.11 COP 84.1K

92.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.45 NZ$64.0

$25.31 COP 88.3K

47.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.98 NZ$20.46

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-37.41%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 NZ$15.14

$4.10 COP 14.3K

116.34%

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

$894 NZ$1,526

$312 COP 1.1M

186.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K NZ$23.1K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

125.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 NZ$121

$58.0 COP 202.6K

22.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.22 NZ$75.5

$32.56 COP 113.6K

35.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 NZ$155

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-9.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 NZ$214

$109 COP 378.8K

15.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$976 NZ$1,666

$482 COP 1.7M

102.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$778 NZ$1,329

$379 COP 1.3M

105.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 NZ$2,668

$837 COP 2.9M

86.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 NZ$2,474

$723 COP 2.5M

100.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,617 NZ$7,884

$2,840 COP 9.9M

62.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,446 NZ$5,884

$1,223 COP 4.3M

181.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,063 NZ$6,938

$541 COP 1.9M

651.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

13.43

-52.57%

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

Last update for Whakatane: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $976 in Whakatane versus $482 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 651% higher in Whakatane, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Whakatane versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 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

Whakatane vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Whakatane is pricier by about 78%, 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 $2,719 per month in Whakatane and $1,525 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 $73.0 in Whakatane 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 $1,813 in Whakatane and $1,017 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 $1,017, than in Whakatane at $1,813. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Whakatane 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, Whakatane makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.