Cost of Living Comparison Between Cochrane and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cochrane and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,345 in Cochrane versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,130 in Cochrane versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,914 in Cochrane versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Cochrane is roughly 128% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cochrane is 76% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.45 CA$25.87

$6.16 COP 20.1K

199.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.1 CA$92.7

$32.60 COP 106.1K

102.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.33 CA$14.48

$7.34 COP 23.9K

40.74%

Cappuccino

$3.69 CA$5.17

$1.72 COP 5,600

114.53%

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

$2.10 CA$2.95

$1.05 COP 3,420

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 CA$2.51

$0.77 COP 2,515

132.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.97 CA$8.37

$1.69 COP 5,488

253.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.84 CA$8.18

$3.17 COP 10.3K

84.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.80

$1.05 COP 3,423

90.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 CA$3.42

$1.30 COP 4,236

87.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.09 CA$4.33

$1.40 COP 4,544

120.71%

Eggs

$3.22 CA$4.51

$2.16 COP 7,047

49.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 CA$12.80

$4.39 COP 14.3K

107.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.90 CA$12.48

$5.88 COP 19.1K

51.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.74 CA$12.25

$8.64 COP 28.1K

1.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 CA$6.68

$2.28 COP 7,426

108.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 CA$1.84

$1.11 COP 3,604

18.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.54

$1.53 COP 4,983

158.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.03

$1.35 COP 4,410

7.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 CA$2.10

$1.13 COP 3,674

32.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 CA$3.01

$1.13 COP 3,692

90.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 CA$3.86

$0.85 COP 2,753

224.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 CA$2.72

$0.91 COP 2,975

113.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.55 CA$20.40

$2.34 COP 7,630

521.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.57 CA$12.01

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-30.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.33

$1.20 COP 3,909

157.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 CA$4.55

$2.49 COP 8,104

30.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.66 CA$5.13

$0.84 COP 2,728

335.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.8 CA$88.0

$40.57 COP 132.1K

54.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.56

$1.42 COP 4,623

128.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 CA$2.31

$1.92 COP 6,235

-14.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.07 CA$32.35

$7.66 COP 24.9K

201.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 CA$1.50

$0.99 COP 3,223

8.08%

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

$25.2K CA$35.4K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

40.02%

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

$22.2K CA$31.2K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

-16.49%

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

$205 CA$287

$80.8 COP 263.1K

153.57%

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

$44.64 CA$62.6

$9.95 COP 32.4K

348.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.1 CA$92.6

$24.18 COP 78.7K

173.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.55 CA$68.1

$25.08 COP 81.7K

93.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

Cinema Ticket

$13.38 CA$18.76

$3.98 COP 13.0K

236.18%

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

$702 CA$984

$305 COP 993.5K

129.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K CA$16.2K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

90.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.03 CA$68.7

$58.1 COP 189.2K

-15.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.25 CA$59.2

$32.20 COP 104.8K

31.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 CA$118

$101 COP 327.9K

-16.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CA$144

$108 COP 350.8K

-4.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 CA$1,752

$477 COP 1.6M

162.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 CA$1,626

$376 COP 1.2M

208.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,872 CA$2,624

$845 COP 2.7M

121.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 CA$1,933

$730 COP 2.4M

88.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$22.3K CA$31.2K

$3,215 COP 10.5M

592.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,055 CA$5,686

$617 COP 2.0M

557.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-62.77%

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

Last update for Cochrane: July 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,249 in Cochrane and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cochrane pays 557% 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: $66.0 in Cochrane vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 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

Cochrane vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 128% lower than in Cochrane. 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 557% higher in Cochrane, 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: $1,249 in Cochrane versus $477 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 $33.00 versus $66.0 in Cochrane. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,345 per month in Cochrane versus $1,031 in Medellin – a 128% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $2,345 in Cochrane, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Cochrane. 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.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Cochrane. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.