Cost of Living Comparison Between Duncan BC and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Duncan BC and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,354 in Duncan BC versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,577 in Duncan BC versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,801 in Duncan BC versus $2,167 in Medellin.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.27 CA$25.71

$6.16 COP 20.1K

196.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 CA$97.7

$32.60 COP 106.1K

113.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.15 CA$15.69

$7.34 COP 23.9K

51.91%

Cappuccino

$4.07 CA$5.72

$1.72 COP 5,599

136.63%

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

$2.13 CA$3.00

$1.05 COP 3,420

102.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 CA$2.53

$0.77 COP 2,515

133.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.27 CA$7.41

$1.69 COP 5,487

211.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 CA$8.72

$3.17 COP 10.3K

95.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 CA$2.14

$1.05 COP 3,423

44.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 CA$3.86

$1.30 COP 4,236

110.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.51 CA$7.75

$1.40 COP 4,544

293.57%

Eggs

$3.71 CA$5.23

$2.16 COP 7,046

71.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 CA$14.30

$4.39 COP 14.3K

131.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 CA$16.75

$5.88 COP 19.1K

102.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.56 CA$20.48

$8.64 COP 28.1K

68.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 CA$4.68

$2.28 COP 7,425

46.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.87

$1.11 COP 3,603

19.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 CA$4.18

$1.53 COP 4,982

94.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 CA$4.70

$1.35 COP 4,410

147.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 CA$3.45

$1.13 COP 3,674

116.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 CA$2.86

$1.13 COP 3,692

79.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CA$3.51

$0.85 COP 2,753

192.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 CA$2.39

$0.91 COP 2,975

86.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.19 CA$19.97

$2.34 COP 7,629

506.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.44 CA$16.10

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-7.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.94 CA$5.54

$1.20 COP 3,909

228.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 CA$5.61

$2.49 COP 8,104

60.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 CA$2.79

$0.84 COP 2,727

135.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.8 CA$108

$40.57 COP 132.1K

89.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 CA$3.86

$1.42 COP 4,623

92.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.07

$1.92 COP 6,235

-23.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.22 CA$41.12

$7.66 COP 24.9K

281.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 CA$1.84

$0.99 COP 3,223

32.32%

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

$23.8K CA$33.5K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

31.85%

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

$20.9K CA$29.4K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

-21.65%

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

$158 CA$223

$80.8 COP 263.1K

95.73%

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

$42.68 CA$60.1

$9.95 COP 32.4K

328.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.8 CA$95.4

$24.18 COP 78.7K

180.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.4 CA$87.8

$25.08 COP 81.6K

148.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

Cinema Ticket

$12.75 CA$17.95

$3.98 COP 13.0K

220.35%

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

$916 CA$1,289

$305 COP 993.4K

200.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K CA$14.9K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

74.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 CA$77.3

$58.1 COP 189.2K

-5.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 CA$73.7

$32.20 COP 104.8K

62.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 CA$142

$101 COP 327.9K

0.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.8 CA$133

$108 COP 350.8K

-12.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 CA$1,813

$477 COP 1.6M

170.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 CA$1,582

$376 COP 1.2M

198.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,350 CA$3,306

$845 COP 2.7M

178.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,146 CA$3,019

$730 COP 2.4M

193.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,387 CA$6,173

$3,215 COP 10.5M

36.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,621 CA$5,095

$1,372 COP 4.5M

163.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,104 CA$4,368

$617 COP 2.0M

403.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

13.43

-51.30%

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

Last update for Duncan BC: July 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,288 in Duncan BC and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Duncan BC pays 403% 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: $69.0 in Duncan BC vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $359 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

Duncan BC vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 128% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 403% higher in Duncan BC, 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: $1,288 in Duncan BC versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 86% higher in Duncan BC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $69.0 in Duncan BC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $2,354 in Duncan BC, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Duncan BC. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Duncan BC, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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