Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnaby and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,678 in Burnaby, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Burnaby
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Burnaby Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Burnaby

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,678

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Burnaby 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 Burnaby and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,678 in Burnaby versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Burnaby $2,678
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,827 in Burnaby versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Burnaby $3,827
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,976 in Burnaby versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Burnaby $4,976
Medellin $3,186

Living in Burnaby is roughly 63% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Burnaby 97% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.23 CA$29.79

$8.09 COP 25.4K

162.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.5 CA$121

$47.05 COP 148.0K

83.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.53 CA$13.37

$9.50 COP 29.9K

0.32%

Cappuccino

$4.67 CA$6.56

$3.01 COP 9,485

55.15%

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

$2.45 CA$3.44

$1.80 COP 5,660

36.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 CA$2.52

$1.41 COP 4,443

27.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.57 CA$12.03

$3.18 COP 9,990

169.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.18 CA$8.67

$5.75 COP 18.1K

7.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 CA$3.28

$1.51 COP 4,751

54.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 CA$3.88

$2.38 COP 7,480

15.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.52 CA$4.95

$1.77 COP 5,573

98.87%

Eggs

$3.17 CA$4.45

$2.89 COP 9,093

9.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.05 CA$19.72

$10.19 COP 32.1K

37.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 CA$19.75

$9.87 COP 31.1K

42.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.31 CA$35.52

$13.99 COP 44.0K

80.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.42 CA$6.20

$3.97 COP 12.5K

11.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 CA$1.80

$1.55 COP 4,883

-17.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.61 CA$6.47

$2.18 COP 6,867

111.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 CA$6.48

$2.18 COP 6,870

111.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 CA$3.95

$1.96 COP 6,174

43.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.54 CA$4.96

$1.59 COP 5,000

122.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 CA$3.84

$1.15 COP 3,604

138.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 CA$2.95

$1.24 COP 3,911

69.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.23 CA$19.96

$3.96 COP 12.5K

259.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.39 CA$18.79

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-2.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 CA$2.88

$1.66 COP 5,221

23.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 CA$3.27

$2.26 COP 7,103

3.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 CA$3.56

$1.17 COP 3,674

117.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.6 CA$115

$77.4 COP 243.4K

5.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 CA$4.04

$1.27 COP 3,989

126.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 CA$2.12

$2.05 COP 6,442

-26.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.45 CA$37.12

$8.55 COP 26.9K

209.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CA$1.92

$1.35 COP 4,237

1.48%

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

$28.5K CA$40.1K

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-16.21%

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

$20.9K CA$29.4K

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-39.59%

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

$126 CA$177

$170 COP 533.7K

-25.58%

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

$44.96 CA$63.1

$13.55 COP 42.6K

231.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 CA$74.0

$28.07 COP 88.3K

87.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.23 CA$43.83

$43.70 COP 137.5K

-28.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.52 CA$14.77

$17.19 COP 54.1K

-38.80%

Cinema Ticket

$14.23 CA$19.97

$6.91 COP 21.7K

105.93%

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

$649 CA$910

$797 COP 2.5M

-18.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 CA$73.3

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-38.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 CA$72.1

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-11.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 CA$145

$135 COP 424.6K

-23.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 CA$111

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-19.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 CA$2,376

$1,208 COP 3.8M

40.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 CA$1,973

$642 COP 2.0M

119.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,623 CA$3,681

$2,028 COP 6.4M

29.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,985 CA$2,786

$1,012 COP 3.2M

96.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,886 CA$9,663

$4,170 COP 13.1M

65.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,338 CA$7,491

$1,910 COP 6.0M

179.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,149 CA$4,419

$657 COP 2.1M

379.12%

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: 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

Burnaby

$1.4K 52.5%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 54.4% $765

Groceries & Markets

Burnaby

$431 16.1%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 31.1% $134

Eating Out

Burnaby

$327 12.2%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 48.1% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Burnaby

$224 8.4%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 5.7% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Burnaby

$129 4.8%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 31.3% $40

Getting Around

Burnaby

$102 3.8%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 8.5% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Burnaby

$60 2.2%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 3.6% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,693 in Burnaby and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays about 4.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $87 in Burnaby vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $431 vs $297 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Burnaby

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

13:48 1:48 PM

15:48 3:48 PM

2 h ahead of Burnaby

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

249,125

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Burnaby Medellin 6,510 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Burnaby
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

Burnaby vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,678 in Burnaby and $1,639 in Medellin, so Medellin is about 39% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Burnaby is about 4.8 times higher, 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: $1,693 in Burnaby versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $649 in Burnaby versus $797 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,639 in Medellin versus $2,678 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 39% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.