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: $1,092 in Cochrane versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,461 in Cochrane versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,831 in Cochrane versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Cochrane costs roughly 36% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cochrane is 21% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.30 CA$25.32

$8.03 COP 25.1K

127.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$100

$48.26 COP 150.8K

49.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.00 CA$13.84

$9.77 COP 30.5K

2.35%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.30

$2.91 COP 9,095

31.62%

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

$2.29 CA$3.16

$1.94 COP 6,074

18.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.40

$1.52 COP 4,754

14.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 CA$7.87

$3.09 COP 9,663

84.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 CA$7.85

$5.74 COP 17.9K

-1.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 CA$2.23

$1.36 COP 4,262

18.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 CA$2.98

$2.39 COP 7,460

-10.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 CA$4.08

$1.70 COP 5,314

73.53%

Eggs

$3.18 CA$4.41

$2.87 COP 8,967

10.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 CA$12.18

$9.94 COP 31.1K

-11.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.60 CA$11.89

$10.78 COP 33.7K

-20.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.86 CA$12.26

$14.73 COP 46.0K

-39.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.41 CA$6.10

$4.09 COP 12.8K

7.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 CA$1.87

$1.57 COP 4,911

-14.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 CA$6.17

$2.13 COP 6,642

109.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 CA$2.03

$2.21 COP 6,917

-33.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.02

$2.05 COP 6,396

-28.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 CA$2.64

$1.50 COP 4,700

27.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 CA$3.45

$1.19 COP 3,718

110.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 CA$2.64

$1.16 COP 3,619

64.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.38 CA$19.90

$3.90 COP 12.2K

268.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.62 CA$11.92

$14.44 COP 45.1K

-40.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 CA$4.47

$1.58 COP 4,948

104.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 CA$3.99

$2.83 COP 8,836

1.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.66 CA$5.07

$1.17 COP 3,650

212.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 CA$3.99

$1.28 COP 4,014

125.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 CA$1.90

$2.09 COP 6,537

-34.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.58 CA$29.87

$8.62 COP 26.9K

150.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 CA$1.44

$1.30 COP 4,056

-20.00%

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

$28.2K CA$39.0K

$27.7K COP 86.4M

2.02%

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

$19.8K CA$27.4K

$35.5K COP 110.9M

-44.23%

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

$213 CA$295

$176 COP 550.1K

20.91%

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

$41.63 CA$57.6

$13.37 COP 41.8K

211.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 CA$77.2

$29.89 COP 93.4K

86.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.16 CA$63.9

$44.76 COP 139.8K

3.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

Cinema Ticket

$13.37 CA$18.51

$6.20 COP 19.4K

115.65%

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

$792 CA$1,096

$793 COP 2.5M

-0.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,939 CA$13.8K

$9,019 COP 28.2M

10.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.07 CA$63.8

$85.6 COP 267.5K

-46.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.71 CA$66.0

$58.5 COP 182.7K

-18.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 CA$117

$136 COP 425.9K

-38.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 CA$134

$103 COP 322.2K

-6.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,251 CA$1,731

$1,060 COP 3.3M

18.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,796 CA$2,485

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-10.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 CA$1,927

$1,169 COP 3.7M

19.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.5K CA$32.5K

$4,111 COP 12.8M

472.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,179 CA$5,782

$665 COP 2.1M

528.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.32

10.94

-60.51%

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

Last update for Cochrane: August 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,251 in Cochrane and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cochrane pays 528% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $72.0 in Cochrane vs $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $303, with Cochrane cheaper for home cooking.

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

Cochrane wins on cost – living expenses run 57% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cochrane the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 528% 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: $1,251 in Cochrane versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,092 per month in Cochrane versus $1,716 in Medellin – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,092 in Cochrane versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cochrane but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cochrane the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cochrane delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,092 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cochrane hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Cochrane gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.