Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnaby and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnaby and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,869 in Burnaby versus $1,641 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,015 in Burnaby versus $2,447 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,160 in Burnaby versus $3,253 in Medellin.

Living in Burnaby is roughly 75% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Burnaby 108% above, Medellin 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.82 CA$30.27

$8.04 COP 24.8K

171.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.5 CA$121

$48.29 COP 148.6K

81.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.54 CA$13.24

$9.42 COP 29.0K

1.27%

Cappuccino

$4.81 CA$6.67

$2.94 COP 9,040

63.61%

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

$2.35 CA$3.27

$1.86 COP 5,735

26.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 CA$2.50

$1.46 COP 4,479

23.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.19 CA$9.98

$3.21 COP 9,882

123.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.10 CA$8.46

$5.71 COP 17.6K

6.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 CA$3.33

$1.44 COP 4,428

66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 CA$4.05

$2.40 COP 7,389

21.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 CA$4.99

$1.70 COP 5,228

111.76%

Eggs

$3.30 CA$4.58

$2.89 COP 8,896

14.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.34 CA$19.89

$10.06 COP 30.9K

42.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.01 CA$19.43

$9.97 COP 30.7K

40.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.31 CA$35.10

$14.20 COP 43.7K

78.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.33

$3.98 COP 12.3K

14.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.81

$1.58 COP 4,878

-17.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.65 CA$6.45

$2.15 COP 6,624

116.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 CA$6.36

$2.30 COP 7,078

99.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 CA$4.02

$2.00 COP 6,169

45.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 CA$4.99

$1.51 COP 4,646

138.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 CA$3.93

$1.20 COP 3,701

135.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 CA$3.01

$1.28 COP 3,946

69.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.60 CA$20.25

$3.84 COP 11.8K

280.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 CA$19.11

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-1.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 CA$2.91

$1.71 COP 5,256

22.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 CA$3.30

$2.74 COP 8,440

-13.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 CA$3.42

$1.25 COP 3,834

96.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.9 CA$112

$77.9 COP 239.7K

3.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 CA$4.13

$1.31 COP 4,016

127.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.04

$2.17 COP 6,680

-32.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.88 CA$37.28

$8.29 COP 25.5K

224.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.84

$1.36 COP 4,172

-2.21%

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

$28.3K CA$39.2K

$27.5K COP 84.5M

2.86%

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

$19.7K CA$27.3K

$36.5K COP 112.4M

-46.14%

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

$125 CA$173

$169 COP 519.2K

-26.13%

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

$44.12 CA$61.2

$13.57 COP 41.8K

225.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 CA$75.0

$28.32 COP 87.2K

91.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.15 CA$43.20

$45.71 COP 140.7K

-31.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.89 CA$15.11

$17.22 COP 53.0K

-36.76%

Cinema Ticket

$14.55 CA$20.18

$6.65 COP 20.5K

118.80%

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

$667 CA$925

$803 COP 2.5M

-16.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 CA$73.9

$87.4 COP 268.8K

-39.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 CA$72.8

$59.4 COP 182.7K

-11.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 CA$146

$139 COP 427.5K

-24.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 CA$111

$102 COP 314.0K

-21.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 CA$2,344

$1,071 COP 3.3M

57.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 CA$2,149

$653 COP 2.0M

137.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,476 CA$3,434

$1,925 COP 5.9M

28.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,189 CA$3,036

$1,048 COP 3.2M

108.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,866 CA$9,523

$4,123 COP 12.7M

66.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,585 CA$7,746

$1,697 COP 5.2M

229.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,162 CA$4,386

$655 COP 2.0M

382.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.76

10.94

-56.49%

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

Last update for Burnaby: September 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,690 in Burnaby and $1,071 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 383% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $88.0 in Burnaby vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $300 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

Burnaby vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burnaby and Medellin differ by about 75% in total monthly costs ($2,869 vs $1,641 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 383% higher in Burnaby, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,690 in Burnaby versus $1,071 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $667 in Burnaby versus $803 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,641 in Medellin versus $2,869 in Burnaby, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Burnaby. 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 75% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.