Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burlington and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,737 in Burlington, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Burlington
Learn more

Burlington Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Burlington

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,737

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Burlington and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Burlington and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,737 per month in Burlington vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Burlington $2,737
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $3,881 per month in Burlington vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Burlington $3,881
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $5,025 per month in Burlington vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Burlington $5,025
Medellin $3,186

Burlington costs about 67% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Burlington and Medellin sit above the global median – Burlington by 101%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.84 CA$30.51

$8.09 COP 26.1K

169.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.3 CA$101

$47.05 COP 151.7K

53.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 CA$14.80

$9.50 COP 30.6K

11.58%

Cappuccino

$3.31 CA$4.62

$3.01 COP 9,722

9.97%

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

$2.00 CA$2.80

$1.80 COP 5,801

11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.17

$1.41 COP 4,554

9.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 CA$7.79

$3.18 COP 10.2K

75.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.11 CA$8.53

$5.75 COP 18.5K

6.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.60 CA$3.63

$1.51 COP 4,869

72.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 CA$4.00

$2.38 COP 7,667

20.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 CA$5.29

$1.77 COP 5,712

113.56%

Eggs

$3.76 CA$5.25

$2.89 COP 9,320

30.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.00 CA$13.97

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-1.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.59 CA$14.79

$9.87 COP 31.8K

7.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.78 CA$20.65

$13.99 COP 45.1K

5.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.36

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-3.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 CA$2.07

$1.55 COP 5,005

-4.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 CA$3.73

$2.18 COP 7,039

22.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.65 CA$5.10

$2.18 COP 7,041

67.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 CA$2.74

$1.96 COP 6,328

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 CA$2.68

$1.59 COP 5,125

20.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 CA$2.92

$1.15 COP 3,694

81.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 CA$2.06

$1.24 COP 4,009

18.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.64 CA$19.06

$3.96 COP 12.8K

244.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.79 CA$15.08

$13.68 COP 44.1K

-21.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 CA$3.92

$1.66 COP 5,352

68.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 CA$4.09

$2.26 COP 7,281

29.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 CA$3.70

$1.17 COP 3,766

126.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 CA$140

$77.4 COP 249.5K

29.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 CA$7.12

$1.27 COP 4,089

300.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.44 CA$3.40

$2.05 COP 6,603

19.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.32 CA$60.5

$8.55 COP 27.6K

406.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 CA$1.67

$1.35 COP 4,343

-11.85%

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

$27.8K CA$38.8K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-18.43%

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

$21.7K CA$30.4K

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-37.30%

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

$144 CA$201

$170 COP 547.0K

-15.14%

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

$44.16 CA$61.7

$13.55 COP 43.7K

225.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.4 CA$94.2

$28.07 COP 90.5K

140.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.66 CA$61.0

$43.70 COP 140.9K

-0.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.23 CA$42.24

$17.19 COP 55.4K

75.86%

Cinema Ticket

$16.13 CA$22.55

$6.91 COP 22.3K

133.43%

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

$902 CA$1,261

$797 COP 2.6M

13.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.0K CA$26.6K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

108.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.3 CA$96.8

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-18.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.5 CA$91.5

$58.0 COP 186.9K

13.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 CA$140

$135 COP 435.2K

-25.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 CA$139

$97.9 COP 315.6K

1.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,729 CA$2,416

$1,208 COP 3.9M

43.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 CA$2,069

$642 COP 2.1M

130.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,599 CA$3,632

$2,028 COP 6.5M

28.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,176 CA$3,041

$1,012 COP 3.3M

115.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,270 CA$7,364

$4,170 COP 13.4M

26.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,145 CA$5,791

$1,910 COP 6.2M

116.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,285 CA$4,590

$657 COP 2.1M

399.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.52

10.94

-58.68%

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

Last update for Burlington: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Burlington

$1.5K 54.1%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 56.7% $839

Groceries & Markets

Burlington

$346 12.7%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 14.2% $49

Eating Out

Burlington

$300 11%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 43.6% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Burlington

$256 9.3%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 17.3% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Burlington

$151 5.5%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 12.2% $18

Getting Around

Burlington

$128 4.7%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 26.7% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Burlington

$76 2.8%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 24.2% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,729 in Burlington versus $1,208 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 in Burlington are about 5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Burlington versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Burlington

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

08:58 8:58 AM

Same time as Burlington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

183,314

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Burlington Medellin 4,140 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Burlington
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Burlington vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Burlington is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,105 per month in Burlington and $2,459 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,729 in Burlington.

Kindergarten costs $902 per month in Burlington and $797 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Burlington, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Burlington at $2,737. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Burlington 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.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Burlington makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.