Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,255 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,255

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Calgary versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Calgary $2,255
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Calgary versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Calgary $3,361
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,468 in Calgary versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Calgary $4,468
Medellin $3,199

Living in Calgary is roughly 39% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 66% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 CA$24.85

$8.30 COP 26.3K

111.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$46.91 COP 148.7K

47.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.97

$9.24 COP 29.3K

14.61%

Cappuccino

$3.84 CA$5.42

$3.05 COP 9,676

25.90%

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

$1.93 CA$2.72

$1.80 COP 5,707

7.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.66

$1.38 COP 4,382

36.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 CA$7.20

$3.24 COP 10.3K

57.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 CA$7.97

$5.56 COP 17.6K

1.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.82

$1.50 COP 4,760

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$2.37 COP 7,508

17.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 CA$7.90

$1.70 COP 5,377

228.82%

Eggs

$3.70 CA$5.23

$2.96 COP 9,379

25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.23

$10.22 COP 32.4K

12.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 CA$15.84

$9.74 COP 30.9K

14.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 CA$26.28

$13.90 COP 44.1K

33.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CA$6.64

$4.13 COP 13.1K

13.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.53 COP 4,839

-5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 CA$6.13

$2.22 COP 7,052

95.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.36

$2.27 COP 7,194

66.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.81

$1.99 COP 6,311

35.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.88

$1.67 COP 5,285

64.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$1.18 COP 3,742

116.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.12

$1.24 COP 3,919

20.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 CA$20.34

$3.87 COP 12.3K

271.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 CA$22.35

$13.78 COP 43.7K

14.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$1.66 COP 5,256

48.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.39

$2.40 COP 7,615

29.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$1.24 COP 3,944

126.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 CA$128

$78.2 COP 248.0K

15.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 CA$4.64

$1.28 COP 4,044

156.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.97

$2.15 COP 6,803

-34.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.45

$8.37 COP 26.5K

216.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.35 COP 4,288

-9.63%

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

$28.4K CA$40.1K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-18.37%

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

$20.8K CA$29.5K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-39.94%

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

$165 CA$233

$167 COP 528.4K

-1.21%

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

$38.24 CA$54.1

$13.62 COP 43.2K

180.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 CA$70.9

$29.12 COP 92.3K

72.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 CA$76.1

$45.09 COP 143.0K

19.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 CA$25.51

$17.18 COP 54.5K

5.01%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 CA$19.84

$6.97 COP 22.1K

101.43%

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

$797 CA$1,126

$790 COP 2.5M

0.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.3K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

74.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$83.5

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-32.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.20 CA$56.8

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-30.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 CA$128

$139 COP 440.7K

-34.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$98.9 COP 313.5K

10.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 CA$1,707

$1,028 COP 3.3M

17.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 CA$1,429

$620 COP 2.0M

63.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 CA$2,756

$1,881 COP 6.0M

3.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 CA$2,371

$1,008 COP 3.2M

66.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,532 CA$4,993

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-11.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,392 CA$4,795

$1,702 COP 5.4M

99.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,152 CA$4,456

$663 COP 2.1M

375.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

10.94

-58.78%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 44.8%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 38.7% $392

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$392 17.4%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 23.9% $94

Eating Out

Calgary

$270 12%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 36.8% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$253 11.2%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 17.2% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$135 6%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 28.2% $38

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 5%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 15.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$82 3.6%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 27.9% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,207 in Calgary and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays 375% 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: $69.0 in Calgary vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $298 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

07:39 7:39 AM

08:39 8:39 AM

1 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Calgary Medellin 6,110 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
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

Calgary vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 375% higher in Calgary, 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: $1,207 in Calgary versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $69.0 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,255 per month in Calgary versus $1,625 in Medellin – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,625 in Medellin versus $2,255 in Calgary, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Calgary. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Calgary, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.