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: $2,332 in Arviat versus $1,014 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,375 in Arviat versus $1,596 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,417 in Arviat versus $2,178 in Medellin.

Living in Arviat is roughly 130% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arviat is 73% above, Medellin is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.68 CA$22.85

$6.14 COP 22.1K

171.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.9 CA$95.8

$33.05 COP 119.0K

111.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 CA$15.08

$7.32 COP 26.4K

50.41%

Cappuccino

$3.70 CA$5.07

$1.66 COP 5,973

122.89%

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

$2.05 CA$2.80

$1.10 COP 3,978

86.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.25

$0.78 COP 2,816

111.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 CA$7.63

$1.71 COP 6,174

225.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 CA$8.27

$3.17 COP 11.4K

90.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CA$3.00

$1.11 COP 4,003

97.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.67

$1.31 COP 4,709

104.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 CA$4.81

$1.38 COP 4,969

154.35%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.72

$2.22 COP 7,992

55.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.13 CA$15.25

$4.34 COP 15.6K

156.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.63 CA$15.94

$5.80 COP 20.9K

100.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.96 CA$20.49

$8.98 COP 32.3K

66.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CA$5.45

$2.26 COP 8,146

76.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 CA$1.88

$1.11 COP 4,014

23.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 CA$5.17

$1.46 COP 5,273

158.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 CA$5.30

$1.37 COP 4,918

182.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 CA$3.27

$1.11 COP 4,000

115.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 CA$3.39

$1.16 COP 4,190

112.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CA$3.48

$0.89 COP 3,204

185.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.35

$0.87 COP 3,117

97.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.74 CA$18.83

$2.35 COP 8,476

484.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.78 CA$17.50

$10.86 COP 39.1K

17.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.86

$1.20 COP 4,321

135.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CA$4.17

$2.48 COP 8,927

22.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 CA$3.27

$0.79 COP 2,836

201.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.3 CA$86.7

$40.77 COP 146.8K

55.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 CA$4.40

$1.42 COP 5,125

126.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$1.97

$1.91 COP 6,885

-24.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.22 CA$35.92

$7.65 COP 27.6K

242.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 CA$1.54

$0.97 COP 3,482

16.49%

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

$25.5K CA$34.9K

$18.1K COP 65.2M

40.77%

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

$20.3K CA$27.8K

$26.3K COP 94.8M

-22.82%

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

$144 CA$197

$81.3 COP 292.9K

76.50%

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

$43.06 CA$59.0

$9.63 COP 34.7K

347.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.5 CA$84.3

$24.36 COP 87.8K

152.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.26 CA$57.9

$26.02 COP 93.7K

62.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 COP 68.1K

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 CA$15.46

$3.89 COP 14.0K

190.23%

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

$732 CA$1,002

$304 COP 1.1M

140.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K CA$16.0K

$5,902 COP 21.3M

98.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 CA$73.7

$58.7 COP 211.4K

-8.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.12 CA$53.6

$32.48 COP 117.0K

20.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 CA$117

$102 COP 366.5K

-16.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$149

$108 COP 389.6K

0.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,313 CA$1,799

$474 COP 1.7M

176.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,178 CA$1,614

$371 COP 1.3M

217.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,043 CA$2,799

$848 COP 3.1M

140.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,835 CA$2,515

$716 COP 2.6M

156.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,104 CA$5,623

$2,871 COP 10.3M

42.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,730 CA$5,110

$1,375 COP 5.0M

171.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,313 in Arviat and $474 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70 in Arviat vs $33 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $190 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 130% in total monthly costs ($2,332 vs $1,014 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,499 in Arviat and $1,522 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: $1,313 in Arviat versus $474 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $732 in Arviat versus $304 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 $1,014 in Medellin versus $2,332 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 130% less than in Arviat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.