Cost of Living Comparison Between Canary Islands and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Canary Islands and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,564 in Canary Islands versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,243 in Canary Islands versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,923 in Canary Islands versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Canary Islands is roughly 52% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Canary Islands is 17% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.60 €15.38

$6.16 COP 20.0K

185.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.4 €50.1

$32.60 COP 106.0K

76.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.09 €8.82

$7.34 COP 23.9K

37.47%

Cappuccino

$1.76 €1.53

$1.72 COP 5,592

2.33%

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

$1.83 €1.60

$1.05 COP 3,416

74.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.94

$0.77 COP 2,511

38.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 €2.50

$1.69 COP 5,480

69.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 €2.77

$3.17 COP 10.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.07

$1.05 COP 3,418

16.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.30 COP 4,230

31.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.32

$1.40 COP 4,538

8.57%

Eggs

$3.09 €2.70

$2.16 COP 7,037

43.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.91 €14.77

$4.39 COP 14.3K

285.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.26 €7.22

$5.88 COP 19.1K

40.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 €12.41

$8.64 COP 28.1K

64.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 €2.17

$2.28 COP 7,415

8.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.11 COP 3,599

57.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.53 COP 4,976

3.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.23

$1.35 COP 4,405

88.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 €1.40

$1.13 COP 3,669

42.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 €1.49

$1.13 COP 3,687

50.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.30

$0.85 COP 2,749

74.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 €0.57

$0.91 COP 2,971

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.79 €4.19

$2.34 COP 7,619

104.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.10 €7.08

$12.37 COP 40.2K

-34.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.20 COP 3,904

19.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.56

$2.49 COP 8,094

-28.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 €1.44

$0.84 COP 2,724

95.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.16 €29.84

$40.57 COP 131.9K

-15.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.80 €3.32

$1.42 COP 4,617

167.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 €1.12

$1.92 COP 6,227

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.56 €15.34

$7.66 COP 24.9K

129.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.47

$0.99 COP 3,219

70.71%

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

$25.6K €22.4K

$18.0K COP 58.6M

42.07%

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

$29.6K €25.9K

$26.6K COP 86.6M

11.12%

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

$91.5 €80.0

$80.8 COP 262.7K

13.25%

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

$21.62 €18.89

$9.95 COP 32.3K

117.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.37 €26.53

$24.18 COP 78.6K

25.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.21 €42.12

$25.08 COP 81.5K

92.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.09 €13.18

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-21.20%

Cinema Ticket

$9.90 €8.65

$3.98 COP 13.0K

148.74%

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

$354 €309

$305 COP 992.2K

15.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,217 €7,179

$6,059 COP 19.7M

35.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.6 €60.0

$58.1 COP 189.0K

18.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.69 €29.44

$32.20 COP 104.7K

4.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 €69.1

$101 COP 327.5K

-21.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.3 €61.4

$108 COP 350.3K

-34.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,016

$477 COP 1.5M

143.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$691 €604

$376 COP 1.2M

83.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,259 €1,973

$845 COP 2.7M

167.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$796 €695

$730 COP 2.4M

8.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,432 €1,251

$617 COP 2.0M

132.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

13.43

-75.20%

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

Last update for Canary Islands: July 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,163 in Canary Islands and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Canary Islands pays 132% 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: $57.0 in Canary Islands vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 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

Canary Islands vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Canary Islands. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 132% higher in Canary Islands, 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: $1,163 in Canary Islands versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Canary Islands. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $57.0 in Canary Islands. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,564 in Canary Islands, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Canary Islands. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,031 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Canary Islands and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Canary Islands. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.