Cost of Living Comparison Between Arviat and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Arviat and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,295 in Arviat versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,354 in Arviat versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,413 in Arviat versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Arviat is roughly 127% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arviat is 71% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.67 CA$23.23

$5.99 COP 21.5K

178.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 CA$99.3

$32.86 COP 118.1K

116.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.97 CA$15.29

$7.09 COP 25.5K

54.72%

Cappuccino

$3.68 CA$5.13

$1.71 COP 6,155

115.20%

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

$1.97 CA$2.75

$1.10 COP 3,950

79.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.31

$0.78 COP 2,799

112.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.42 CA$7.55

$1.68 COP 6,037

222.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.87 CA$8.18

$3.07 COP 11.0K

91.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 CA$2.97

$1.09 COP 3,931

95.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 CA$3.77

$1.26 COP 4,537

114.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 CA$4.92

$1.38 COP 4,955

155.80%

Eggs

$3.37 CA$4.69

$2.19 COP 7,878

53.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 CA$15.41

$4.40 COP 15.8K

151.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.61 CA$16.18

$5.63 COP 20.2K

106.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.60 CA$20.34

$8.89 COP 32.0K

64.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 CA$5.75

$2.34 COP 8,403

76.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 CA$1.91

$1.06 COP 3,802

29.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.17

$1.50 COP 5,409

147.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.15

$1.38 COP 4,956

168.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 CA$3.32

$1.15 COP 4,138

106.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 CA$3.60

$1.16 COP 4,183

122.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CA$3.50

$0.89 COP 3,203

182.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.39

$0.84 COP 3,016

104.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.78 CA$19.21

$2.28 COP 8,198

504.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.12 CA$15.50

$10.64 COP 38.3K

4.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.06

$1.20 COP 4,312

142.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 CA$4.41

$2.47 COP 8,882

28.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 CA$3.28

$0.86 COP 3,076

173.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.5 CA$87.1

$41.40 COP 148.8K

50.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 CA$4.33

$1.47 COP 5,298

111.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 CA$1.99

$1.96 COP 7,055

-27.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.11 CA$36.39

$7.74 COP 27.8K

237.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 CA$1.56

$0.95 COP 3,431

17.89%

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

$24.8K CA$34.6K

$18.1K COP 65.2M

36.80%

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

$20.7K CA$28.8K

$26.5K COP 95.2M

-22.02%

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

$144 CA$200

$82.3 COP 295.7K

74.52%

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

$44.13 CA$61.5

$9.50 COP 34.2K

364.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.3 CA$86.8

$24.23 COP 87.1K

156.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.69 CA$59.5

$25.89 COP 93.0K

64.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 68.3K

Cinema Ticket

$11.20 CA$15.61

$3.93 COP 14.1K

184.99%

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

$732 CA$1,021

$309 COP 1.1M

136.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K CA$16.4K

$5,965 COP 21.4M

96.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 CA$75.5

$58.7 COP 210.8K

-7.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.20 CA$54.6

$32.35 COP 116.3K

21.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 CA$122

$103 COP 368.8K

-14.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$147

$108 COP 389.7K

-2.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 CA$1,849

$476 COP 1.7M

178.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 CA$1,613

$379 COP 1.4M

205.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 CA$2,760

$838 COP 3.0M

136.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 CA$2,526

$724 COP 2.6M

150.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,505 CA$6,279

$2,791 COP 10.0M

61.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,610 CA$5,031

$1,211 COP 4.4M

198.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

13.43

-51.90%

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

Last update for Arviat: May 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,327 in Arviat and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Arviat vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $359 vs $188 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Arviat vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arviat and Medellin differ by about 127% in total monthly costs ($2,295 vs $1,013 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,443 in Arviat and $1,519 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,327 in Arviat versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $732 in Arviat versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 91% higher in Arviat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,295 in Arviat, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Arviat. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in Arviat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.