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: $2,777 in Burnaby versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,049 in Burnaby versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,321 in Burnaby versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Burnaby is roughly 169% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Burnaby is 108% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.84 CA$20.88

$6.16 COP 20.1K

140.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.8 CA$105

$32.60 COP 106.1K

129.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.25 CA$13.02

$7.34 COP 23.9K

26.02%

Cappuccino

$4.24 CA$5.97

$1.72 COP 5,599

146.51%

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

$1.80 CA$2.53

$1.05 COP 3,420

71.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 CA$1.89

$0.77 COP 2,515

74.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.95 CA$8.37

$1.69 COP 5,487

252.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 CA$7.98

$3.17 COP 10.3K

78.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.50 CA$3.52

$1.05 COP 3,423

138.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.87

$1.30 COP 4,236

111.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.66 CA$6.55

$1.40 COP 4,544

232.86%

Eggs

$3.27 CA$4.60

$2.16 COP 7,046

51.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 CA$17.54

$4.39 COP 14.3K

183.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.71 CA$16.47

$5.88 COP 19.1K

99.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.40 CA$30.12

$8.64 COP 28.1K

147.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 CA$4.72

$2.28 COP 7,425

47.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.88

$1.11 COP 3,603

19.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 CA$4.27

$1.53 COP 4,982

98.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 CA$5.42

$1.35 COP 4,410

185.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 CA$4.10

$1.13 COP 3,674

157.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.32

$1.13 COP 3,692

171.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.48

$0.85 COP 2,753

190.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 CA$2.68

$0.91 COP 2,975

109.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.81 CA$20.84

$2.34 COP 7,629

532.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.95 CA$18.22

$12.37 COP 40.3K

4.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CA$3.50

$1.20 COP 3,909

107.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 CA$3.58

$2.49 COP 8,104

2.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 CA$3.19

$0.84 COP 2,727

170.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.6 CA$109

$40.57 COP 132.1K

91.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 CA$3.85

$1.42 COP 4,623

92.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 CA$1.90

$1.92 COP 6,235

-29.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.16 CA$36.82

$7.66 COP 24.9K

241.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CA$1.93

$0.99 COP 3,223

38.38%

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

$25.4K CA$35.7K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

40.65%

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

$20.1K CA$28.3K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

-24.35%

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

$136 CA$192

$80.8 COP 263.1K

68.54%

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

$41.79 CA$58.8

$9.95 COP 32.4K

320.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.8 CA$77.1

$24.18 COP 78.7K

126.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.21 CA$43.91

$25.08 COP 81.6K

24.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.36 CA$7.54

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-72.01%

Cinema Ticket

$16.13 CA$22.70

$3.98 COP 13.0K

305.28%

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

$534 CA$752

$305 COP 993.4K

75.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,169 CA$11.5K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

34.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 CA$77.1

$58.1 COP 189.2K

-5.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 CA$75.7

$32.20 COP 104.8K

67.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 CA$133

$101 COP 327.9K

-6.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.6 CA$133

$108 COP 350.8K

-12.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 CA$2,651

$477 COP 1.6M

295.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,650 CA$2,321

$376 COP 1.2M

338.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,117 CA$5,793

$845 COP 2.7M

387.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,678 CA$3,768

$730 COP 2.4M

266.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,680 CA$9,400

$3,215 COP 10.5M

107.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,538 CA$7,792

$1,372 COP 4.5M

303.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,116 CA$4,385

$617 COP 2.0M

405.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

13.43

-51.30%

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

Last update for Burnaby: July 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,884 in Burnaby and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 405% 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: $75.0 in Burnaby vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $193 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 169% in total monthly costs ($2,777 vs $1,031 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 405% 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: $1,884 in Burnaby versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $534 in Burnaby versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 103% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $2,777 in Burnaby, a $1,500 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 169% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.