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: $2,351 in Cochrane versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,160 in Cochrane versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,969 in Cochrane versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Cochrane is roughly 132% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cochrane is 75% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.21 CA$25.22

$5.99 COP 21.4K

204.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 CA$93.5

$32.86 COP 117.4K

105.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 CA$14.13

$7.09 COP 25.3K

44.01%

Cappuccino

$3.74 CA$5.18

$1.71 COP 6,115

118.71%

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

$2.10 CA$2.91

$1.10 COP 3,924

90.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 CA$2.36

$0.78 COP 2,781

117.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 CA$7.97

$1.68 COP 5,997

242.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 CA$8.22

$3.07 COP 11.0K

93.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 CA$2.88

$1.09 COP 3,906

90.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 CA$3.22

$1.26 COP 4,508

84.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.35

$1.38 COP 4,922

127.54%

Eggs

$3.22 CA$4.46

$2.19 COP 7,827

47.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.00 CA$12.46

$4.40 COP 15.7K

104.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.70 CA$12.04

$5.63 COP 20.1K

54.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 CA$12.22

$8.89 COP 31.8K

-0.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CA$6.50

$2.34 COP 8,349

100.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.84

$1.06 COP 3,777

25.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 CA$5.23

$1.50 COP 5,374

152.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 CA$2.10

$1.38 COP 4,924

9.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 CA$2.08

$1.15 COP 4,111

30.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 CA$3.02

$1.16 COP 4,155

87.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 CA$3.62

$0.89 COP 3,182

194.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 CA$2.70

$0.84 COP 2,997

132.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.71 CA$20.37

$2.28 COP 8,145

545.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.62 CA$11.93

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-18.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 CA$4.27

$1.20 COP 4,284

156.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 CA$4.55

$2.47 COP 8,824

33.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.64 CA$5.05

$0.86 COP 3,056

323.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.7 CA$86.9

$41.40 COP 147.9K

51.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 CA$4.42

$1.47 COP 5,264

117.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 CA$2.29

$1.96 COP 7,009

-15.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.60 CA$32.68

$7.74 COP 27.6K

204.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 CA$1.48

$0.95 COP 3,409

12.63%

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

$25.4K CA$35.1K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

39.86%

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

$22.6K CA$31.4K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-14.49%

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

$203 CA$282

$82.3 COP 293.7K

147.29%

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

$44.75 CA$62.0

$9.50 COP 33.9K

371.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.9 CA$89.8

$24.23 COP 86.5K

167.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.65 CA$67.4

$25.89 COP 92.4K

87.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 CA$18.54

$3.93 COP 14.0K

240.71%

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

$701 CA$971

$309 COP 1.1M

126.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K CA$16.1K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

95.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.54 CA$68.6

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-15.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.27 CA$58.5

$32.35 COP 115.5K

30.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 CA$114

$103 COP 366.4K

-19.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 CA$141

$108 COP 387.2K

-6.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CA$1,744

$476 COP 1.7M

164.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,194 CA$1,653

$379 COP 1.4M

215.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,875 CA$2,596

$838 COP 3.0M

123.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 CA$1,942

$724 COP 2.6M

93.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.6K CA$32.7K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

746.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,201 CA$5,817

$512 COP 1.8M

720.95%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,260 in Cochrane and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cochrane pays 721% 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: $68.0 in Cochrane vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $188 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 132% 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.

Cochrane pays 721% more on average, 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: $1,260 in Cochrane versus $476 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 $68.0 in Cochrane. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,351 per month in Cochrane versus $1,013 in Medellin – a 132% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,351 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 $1,013 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 132% less than in Cochrane. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.