Cost of Living Comparison Between Canterbury and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Canterbury and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,976 in Canterbury versus $1,687 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,242 in Canterbury versus $2,535 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,508 in Canterbury versus $3,383 in Medellin.

Living in Canterbury is roughly 76% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Canterbury 117% above, Medellin 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.61 £18.04

$7.89 COP 24.2K

211.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 £66.1

$44.53 COP 136.5K

102.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.78 £7.90

$9.29 COP 28.5K

16.04%

Cappuccino

$4.82 £3.53

$2.90 COP 8,874

66.21%

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

$2.72 £2.00

$1.81 COP 5,541

50.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 £1.61

$1.55 COP 4,741

41.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.32 £5.37

$3.25 COP 9,962

125.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 £5.01

$5.88 COP 18.0K

16.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 £1.15

$1.38 COP 4,230

13.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 £0.94

$2.45 COP 7,517

-47.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 £1.26

$1.51 COP 4,617

13.91%

Eggs

$3.27 £2.39

$2.78 COP 8,516

17.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 £7.05

$9.05 COP 27.7K

6.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.79 £5.71

$10.65 COP 32.6K

-26.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.81 £20.38

$14.63 COP 44.8K

90.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 £2.32

$3.97 COP 12.2K

-20.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 £1.09

$1.38 COP 4,219

7.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 £2.28

$2.30 COP 7,056

34.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 £2.36

$2.02 COP 6,185

59.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 £1.19

$2.09 COP 6,390

-22.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 £1.10

$1.63 COP 4,996

-7.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 £1.26

$1.08 COP 3,313

59.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 £2.00

$1.25 COP 3,843

118.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.57 £17.27

$4.03 COP 12.4K

484.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.47 £12.07

$13.47 COP 41.3K

22.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 £2.02

$1.60 COP 4,904

72.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 £2.99

$3.00 COP 9,189

36.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.15 £3.04

$1.18 COP 3,611

251.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$146 £107

$79.9 COP 244.9K

83.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.18 £3.80

$1.61 COP 4,920

221.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 £1.95

$2.13 COP 6,533

24.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.59 £15.83

$8.52 COP 26.1K

153.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.40

$1.35 COP 4,142

41.48%

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

$37.8K £27.7K

$28.3K COP 86.8M

33.32%

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

$41.1K £30.2K

$35.7K COP 109.4M

15.29%

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

$392 £288

$151 COP 463.8K

159.10%

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

$17.26 £12.65

$13.10 COP 40.1K

31.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.14 £30.15

$32.30 COP 99.0K

27.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 £39.82

$46.33 COP 141.9K

17.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.78 £28.43

$17.26 COP 52.9K

124.68%

Cinema Ticket

$20.31 £14.88

$6.43 COP 19.7K

215.86%

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

$861 £631

$835 COP 2.6M

3.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.3K £14.9K

$8,887 COP 27.2M

128.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.0 £72.6

$89.3 COP 273.7K

10.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.62 £22.44

$55.3 COP 169.5K

-44.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 £58.4

$137 COP 418.5K

-41.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 £108

$109 COP 335.1K

34.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,436 £1,053

$952 COP 2.9M

50.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 £1,010

$668 COP 2.0M

106.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,426 £1,778

$2,020 COP 6.2M

20.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,003 £1,468

$1,148 COP 3.5M

74.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,190 £3,804

$3,696 COP 11.3M

40.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,411 £3,233

$1,586 COP 4.9M

178.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,240 £2,375

$625 COP 1.9M

418.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.51

10.43

-47.17%

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

Last update for Canterbury: August 16, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,436 in Canterbury and $952 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Canterbury pays 418% 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: $90.0 in Canterbury vs $45.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $297 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

Canterbury vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 76% lower than in Canterbury. 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 418% higher in Canterbury, 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: $1,436 in Canterbury versus $952 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $861 in Canterbury versus $835 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Canterbury. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,687 in Medellin versus $2,976 in Canterbury, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Canterbury. 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 $1,687 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Canterbury 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 76% less than in Canterbury. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.