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: $2,776 in Burnaby versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,068 in Burnaby versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,359 in Burnaby versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Burnaby is roughly 174% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Burnaby is 107% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.75 CA$20.49

$5.99 COP 21.4K

146.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 CA$103

$32.86 COP 117.2K

124.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 CA$12.43

$7.09 COP 25.3K

26.23%

Cappuccino

$4.19 CA$5.82

$1.71 COP 6,105

145.03%

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

$1.81 CA$2.52

$1.10 COP 3,918

64.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 CA$1.85

$0.78 COP 2,776

70.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 CA$8.21

$1.68 COP 5,987

251.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 CA$7.73

$3.07 COP 10.9K

81.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.55 CA$3.55

$1.09 COP 3,899

133.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 CA$3.85

$1.26 COP 4,500

119.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 CA$6.23

$1.38 COP 4,914

224.64%

Eggs

$3.13 CA$4.34

$2.19 COP 7,813

42.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 CA$17.13

$4.40 COP 15.7K

180.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 CA$16.65

$5.63 COP 20.1K

112.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.64 CA$30.06

$8.89 COP 31.7K

143.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 CA$4.64

$2.34 COP 8,334

42.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 CA$1.78

$1.06 COP 3,771

20.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.17

$1.50 COP 5,365

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.33

$1.38 COP 4,915

178.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.02

$1.15 COP 4,104

151.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.17

$1.16 COP 4,148

158.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 CA$3.32

$0.89 COP 3,176

168.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 CA$2.63

$0.84 COP 2,992

125.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.84 CA$20.61

$2.28 COP 8,131

550.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 CA$18.42

$10.64 COP 37.9K

24.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.35

$1.20 COP 4,276

100.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.51

$2.47 COP 8,809

2.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 CA$3.17

$0.86 COP 3,051

165.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.2 CA$107

$41.40 COP 147.6K

86.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 CA$3.89

$1.47 COP 5,255

90.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 CA$1.97

$1.96 COP 6,997

-27.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.32 CA$35.18

$7.74 COP 27.6K

227.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 CA$1.82

$0.95 COP 3,403

37.89%

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

$25.3K CA$35.2K

$18.1K COP 64.6M

39.77%

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

$20.4K CA$28.4K

$26.5K COP 94.4M

-22.86%

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

$136 CA$188

$82.3 COP 293.2K

64.83%

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

$42.55 CA$59.1

$9.50 COP 33.9K

347.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 CA$77.2

$24.23 COP 86.4K

129.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.32 CA$43.52

$25.89 COP 92.3K

20.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.61 CA$7.80

$19.00 COP 67.7K

-70.47%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 CA$22.63

$3.93 COP 14.0K

314.50%

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

$547 CA$760

$309 COP 1.1M

76.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,127 CA$11.3K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

36.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 CA$76.0

$58.7 COP 209.1K

-6.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 CA$74.5

$32.35 COP 115.3K

65.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 CA$130

$103 COP 365.7K

-8.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 CA$134

$108 COP 386.5K

-11.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,909 CA$2,653

$476 COP 1.7M

300.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 CA$2,304

$379 COP 1.4M

337.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,989 CA$5,543

$838 COP 3.0M

375.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,650 CA$3,682

$724 COP 2.6M

266.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,878 CA$9,556

$2,791 COP 9.9M

146.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,525 CA$7,676

$1,211 COP 4.3M

356.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,275 CA$4,551

$512 COP 1.8M

539.97%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,909 in Burnaby and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 540% 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: $74.0 in Burnaby vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $188 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 174% in total monthly costs ($2,776 vs $1,013 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Burnaby pays 540% more on average, 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: $1,909 in Burnaby versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $547 in Burnaby versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 108% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,776 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 174% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.