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: $2,347 in Arviat versus $1,018 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,408 in Arviat versus $1,609 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,469 in Arviat versus $2,200 in Medellin.

Living in Arviat is roughly 131% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arviat is 76% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.98 CA$23.96

$5.93 COP 19.1K

186.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 CA$98.4

$33.12 COP 106.4K

110.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.95 CA$15.45

$7.12 COP 22.9K

53.79%

Cappuccino

$3.77 CA$5.32

$1.71 COP 5,480

120.47%

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

$1.96 CA$2.77

$1.05 COP 3,370

86.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.32

$0.72 COP 2,321

129.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 CA$7.96

$1.72 COP 5,524

227.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 CA$8.11

$3.17 COP 10.2K

81.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 CA$2.99

$1.06 COP 3,422

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 CA$3.85

$1.31 COP 4,209

108.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.55 CA$5.01

$1.33 COP 4,273

166.92%

Eggs

$3.44 CA$4.85

$2.28 COP 7,328

50.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.12 CA$15.69

$4.42 COP 14.2K

151.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.86 CA$16.72

$5.92 COP 19.0K

100.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.79 CA$20.86

$8.64 COP 27.8K

71.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.76

$2.34 COP 7,535

74.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$1.10 COP 3,541

25.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 CA$5.12

$1.47 COP 4,718

146.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.42

$1.38 COP 4,433

178.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 CA$3.54

$1.17 COP 3,769

114.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 CA$3.53

$1.17 COP 3,760

113.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CA$3.71

$0.90 COP 2,902

192.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.43

$0.84 COP 2,704

104.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.71 CA$19.33

$2.33 COP 7,480

488.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.98 CA$16.90

$11.92 COP 38.3K

0.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 CA$4.15

$1.15 COP 3,688

155.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 CA$4.44

$2.42 COP 7,780

30.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 CA$3.36

$0.84 COP 2,698

183.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.5 CA$89.5

$40.83 COP 131.2K

55.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.58

$1.41 COP 4,535

130.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.91 COP 6,152

-21.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.86 CA$36.47

$7.83 COP 25.1K

230.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 CA$1.58

$0.94 COP 3,033

19.15%

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

$24.8K CA$35.0K

$17.8K COP 57.3M

39.43%

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

$20.5K CA$29.0K

$27.1K COP 87.0M

-24.20%

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

$142 CA$201

$83.3 COP 267.5K

71.11%

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

$43.28 CA$61.1

$9.66 COP 31.0K

348.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.0 CA$87.5

$24.22 COP 77.8K

156.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.41 CA$59.8

$25.22 COP 81.1K

68.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 62.1K

Cinema Ticket

$11.30 CA$15.94

$4.07 COP 13.1K

177.64%

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

$727 CA$1,025

$307 COP 985.2K

136.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K CA$16.5K

$5,981 COP 19.2M

96.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 CA$75.8

$60.0 COP 192.6K

-10.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.86 CA$56.2

$32.65 COP 104.9K

22.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 CA$120

$101 COP 324.8K

-15.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 CA$150

$108 COP 347.2K

-1.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,317 CA$1,857

$476 COP 1.5M

176.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 CA$1,670

$379 COP 1.2M

212.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,044 CA$2,883

$816 COP 2.6M

150.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,808 CA$2,550

$707 COP 2.3M

155.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,910 CA$5,516

$3,190 COP 10.2M

22.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,136 CA$4,423

$1,446 COP 4.6M

116.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

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: July 22, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,317 in Arviat and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Arviat vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $192 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 131% in total monthly costs ($2,347 vs $1,018 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,520 in Arviat and $1,527 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: $1,317 in Arviat versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Arviat versus $307 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Arviat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,018 in Medellin versus $2,347 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 131% less than in Arviat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.