Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort McMurray and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,242 in Fort McMurray, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Fort McMurray
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Fort McMurray Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Fort McMurray

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,242

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fort McMurray 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 Fort McMurray and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,242 per month in Fort McMurray vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Fort McMurray $2,242
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $3,323 per month in Fort McMurray vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Fort McMurray $3,323
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $4,404 per month in Fort McMurray vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Fort McMurray $4,404
Medellin $3,190

Fort McMurray costs about 39% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Fort McMurray and Medellin sit above the global median – Fort McMurray by 66%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.90 CA$29.54

$7.93 COP 25.2K

163.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.8 CA$78.9

$46.13 COP 146.3K

21.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.79 CA$19.50

$9.50 COP 30.1K

45.16%

Cappuccino

$3.88 CA$5.49

$3.11 COP 9,866

24.76%

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

$2.37 CA$3.35

$1.83 COP 5,800

29.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.14

$1.38 COP 4,360

10.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$8.10

$3.05 COP 9,672

87.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 CA$7.53

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-3.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 CA$2.00

$1.45 COP 4,600

-2.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 CA$3.82

$2.36 COP 7,496

14.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.27

$1.68 COP 5,328

79.76%

Eggs

$2.98 CA$4.21

$2.86 COP 9,077

4.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.00 CA$18.38

$10.19 COP 32.3K

27.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.01 CA$18.39

$9.53 COP 30.2K

36.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.80 CA$27.99

$14.04 COP 44.5K

41.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 CA$6.28

$4.07 COP 12.9K

9.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$1.50 COP 4,742

-16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 CA$7.33

$2.17 COP 6,891

139.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.60 CA$9.34

$2.31 COP 7,310

185.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.66 CA$5.17

$1.93 COP 6,113

89.64%

Onion (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.58

$1.64 COP 5,196

140.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 CA$4.22

$1.13 COP 3,571

164.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 CA$1.93

$1.25 COP 3,954

8.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.66 CA$22.13

$3.99 COP 12.6K

292.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 CA$19.92

$13.35 COP 42.3K

5.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.24 CA$5.99

$1.70 COP 5,384

149.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 CA$4.93

$2.37 COP 7,525

47.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$1.21 COP 3,827

14.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.42 CA$69.9

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-35.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 CA$5.05

$1.32 COP 4,179

170.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 CA$1.57

$2.14 COP 6,774

-48.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.27 CA$45.62

$8.47 COP 26.8K

280.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 CA$1.50

$1.30 COP 4,114

-18.46%

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

$27.3K CA$38.6K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-2.51%

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

$21.2K CA$29.9K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-40.27%

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

$190 CA$269

$172 COP 545.6K

10.65%

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

$48.41 CA$68.4

$13.37 COP 42.4K

262.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 CA$86.4

$28.73 COP 91.1K

112.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.19 CA$61.1

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-4.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.77 CA$12.40

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-48.53%

Cinema Ticket

$12.46 CA$17.62

$6.28 COP 19.9K

98.41%

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

$559 CA$790

$770 COP 2.4M

-27.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 CA$93.8

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-23.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 CA$49.95

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-38.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.3 CA$109

$137 COP 432.9K

-43.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.2 CA$120

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-12.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$906 CA$1,281

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-14.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$965 CA$1,364

$616 COP 2.0M

56.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 CA$2,250

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-15.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,656 CA$2,340

$1,023 COP 3.2M

61.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,598 CA$3,673

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-35.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,865 CA$2,636

$1,678 COP 5.3M

11.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,042 CA$4,300

$652 COP 2.1M

366.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

10.94

-56.40%

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

Last update for Fort McMurray: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fort McMurray

$965 43%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 36.2% $349

Groceries & Markets

Fort McMurray

$416 18.6%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 29.1% $121

Eating Out

Fort McMurray

$310 13.8%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 45.7% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort McMurray

$300 13.4%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 28.6% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Fort McMurray

$119 5.3%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 43.1% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Fort McMurray

$68 3%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 15.1% $10

Getting Around

Fort McMurray

$64 2.9%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 45.7% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $906 in Fort McMurray versus $1,055 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 run about 366% higher in Fort McMurray, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Fort McMurray versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $416 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Fort McMurray

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

12:43 12:43 PM

13:43 1:43 PM

1 h ahead of Fort McMurray

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,573

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Fort McMurray Medellin 6,420 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Fort McMurray
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

Fort McMurray vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,242 in Fort McMurray, $1,614 in Medellin – roughly 39% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,362 per month in Fort McMurray and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,242 in Fort McMurray and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 39%.

Public transport costs about 55% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Fort McMurray at $2,242. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fort McMurray it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,614 in Medellin to $2,242 in Fort McMurray. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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