Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Courtenay and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,184 in Courtenay, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Courtenay
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Courtenay Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Courtenay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,184

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Courtenay and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Courtenay and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,184 per month in Courtenay vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Courtenay $2,184
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $3,080 per month in Courtenay vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Courtenay $3,080
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $3,975 per month in Courtenay vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Courtenay $3,975
Medellin $3,186

Courtenay costs about 33% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Courtenay and Medellin sit above the global median – Courtenay by 60%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.38 CA$20.10

$8.09 COP 26.1K

77.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 CA$79.9

$47.05 COP 151.7K

21.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.76 CA$13.64

$9.50 COP 30.6K

2.74%

Cappuccino

$3.68 CA$5.14

$3.01 COP 9,722

22.26%

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

$2.04 CA$2.85

$1.80 COP 5,801

13.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.17

$1.41 COP 4,554

9.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.79 CA$8.09

$3.18 COP 10.2K

82.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 CA$8.02

$5.75 COP 18.5K

-0.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.41 CA$3.37

$1.51 COP 4,869

59.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 CA$2.87

$2.38 COP 7,667

-13.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 CA$2.91

$1.77 COP 5,712

17.51%

Eggs

$3.20 CA$4.47

$2.89 COP 9,320

10.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.17 CA$14.21

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-0.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.20 CA$12.85

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-6.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.79 CA$27.65

$13.99 COP 45.1K

41.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 CA$4.62

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-16.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 CA$1.83

$1.55 COP 5,005

-15.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 CA$3.28

$2.18 COP 7,039

7.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.29

$2.18 COP 7,041

40.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 CA$3.71

$1.96 COP 6,328

35.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 CA$3.01

$1.59 COP 5,125

35.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 CA$2.89

$1.15 COP 3,694

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.29

$1.24 COP 4,009

32.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.20 CA$19.85

$3.96 COP 12.8K

258.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.89 CA$15.22

$13.68 COP 44.1K

-20.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 CA$3.62

$1.66 COP 5,352

56.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 CA$3.40

$2.26 COP 7,281

7.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 CA$2.71

$1.17 COP 3,766

65.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.49 CA$59.4

$77.4 COP 249.5K

-45.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 CA$3.84

$1.27 COP 4,089

116.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 CA$1.96

$2.05 COP 6,603

-31.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.82 CA$24.90

$8.55 COP 27.6K

108.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 CA$1.78

$1.35 COP 4,343

-5.19%

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

$20.8K CA$29.1K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-38.81%

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

$18.2K CA$25.5K

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-47.36%

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

$139 CA$194

$170 COP 547.0K

-18.11%

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

$36.71 CA$51.3

$13.55 COP 43.7K

170.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.3 CA$91.3

$28.07 COP 90.5K

132.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.38 CA$59.2

$43.70 COP 140.9K

-3.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.49 CA$53.8

$17.19 COP 55.4K

123.91%

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 CA$15.06

$6.91 COP 22.3K

56.01%

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

$648 CA$906

$797 COP 2.6M

-18.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K CA$17.2K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

35.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.9 CA$79.5

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-32.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.43 CA$63.5

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-21.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 CA$110

$135 COP 435.2K

-41.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.8 CA$83.5

$97.9 COP 315.6K

-38.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 CA$1,703

$1,208 COP 3.9M

0.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 CA$1,588

$642 COP 2.1M

77.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,043 CA$2,855

$2,028 COP 6.5M

0.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,277

$1,012 COP 3.3M

61.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,318 CA$7,430

$4,170 COP 13.4M

27.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,239 CA$4,525

$657 COP 2.1M

392.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

10.94

-55.48%

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

Last update for Courtenay: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Courtenay

$1.1K 52.1%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 43.6% $495

Groceries & Markets

Courtenay

$331 15.1%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 10.2% $34

Eating Out

Courtenay

$243 11.1%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 30.3% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Courtenay

$241 11%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 12.3% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Courtenay

$108 5%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 56.1% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Courtenay

$64 2.9%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 10% $6.4

Getting Around

Courtenay

$60 2.8%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 55.9% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,219 in Courtenay versus $1,208 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Courtenay are about 4.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57 in Courtenay versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $331 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Courtenay

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

19:36 7:36 PM

21:36 9:36 PM

2 h ahead of Courtenay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,599

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Courtenay Medellin 6,660 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Courtenay
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Courtenay vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Courtenay is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,276 per month in Courtenay and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,219 in Courtenay and $1,208 in Medellin. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Courtenay, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57 in Courtenay and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,184 in Courtenay and $1,639 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $2,184 in Courtenay. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Courtenay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.