Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,253 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,253

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,253 in Hamilton versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Hamilton $2,253
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,331 in Hamilton versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Hamilton $3,331
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,408 in Hamilton versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Hamilton $4,408
Medellin $3,190

Living in Hamilton is roughly 40% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 67% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.21 CA$24.33

$7.93 COP 25.2K

117.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.7 CA$92.8

$46.13 COP 146.3K

42.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 CA$16.77

$9.50 COP 30.1K

24.95%

Cappuccino

$3.37 CA$4.77

$3.11 COP 9,866

8.36%

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

$2.22 CA$3.14

$1.83 COP 5,800

21.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 CA$2.39

$1.38 COP 4,360

22.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.99 CA$7.05

$3.05 COP 9,672

63.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 CA$8.52

$5.50 COP 17.4K

9.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 CA$2.67

$1.45 COP 4,600

30.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 CA$2.99

$2.36 COP 7,496

-10.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 CA$4.43

$1.68 COP 5,328

86.31%

Eggs

$3.33 CA$4.70

$2.86 COP 9,077

16.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 CA$11.13

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-22.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.30 CA$15.98

$9.53 COP 30.2K

18.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.24 CA$20.13

$14.04 COP 44.5K

1.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 CA$5.38

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-6.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 CA$1.79

$1.50 COP 4,742

-15.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.98 CA$5.63

$2.17 COP 6,891

83.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 CA$5.40

$2.31 COP 7,310

65.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 CA$3.83

$1.93 COP 6,113

40.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 CA$2.69

$1.64 COP 5,196

16.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 CA$2.75

$1.13 COP 3,571

72.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 CA$1.88

$1.25 COP 3,954

6.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 CA$17.65

$3.99 COP 12.6K

213.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.95 CA$19.72

$13.35 COP 42.3K

4.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 CA$3.74

$1.70 COP 5,384

55.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 CA$5.33

$2.37 COP 7,525

59.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$1.21 COP 3,827

111.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$119

$76.5 COP 242.5K

10.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 CA$4.76

$1.32 COP 4,179

154.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 CA$1.82

$2.14 COP 6,774

-40.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.24 CA$32.85

$8.47 COP 26.8K

174.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.30 COP 4,114

-6.92%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-1.28%

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

$19.6K CA$27.7K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-44.62%

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

$152 CA$214

$172 COP 545.6K

-11.89%

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

$41.21 CA$58.3

$13.37 COP 42.4K

208.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.2 CA$70.9

$28.73 COP 91.1K

74.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.85 CA$52.1

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-18.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.62 CA$24.91

$17.04 COP 54.0K

3.40%

Cinema Ticket

$10.23 CA$14.46

$6.28 COP 19.9K

62.90%

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

$600 CA$848

$770 COP 2.4M

-22.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K CA$23.4K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

83.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-44.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.45 CA$43.05

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-46.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 CA$118

$137 COP 432.9K

-38.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 CA$161

$97.9 COP 310.4K

16.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,251 CA$1,769

$1,055 COP 3.3M

18.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 CA$1,588

$616 COP 2.0M

82.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 CA$2,887

$1,892 COP 6.0M

7.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,873 CA$2,647

$1,023 COP 3.2M

83.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,695 CA$3,810

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-33.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,668 CA$3,771

$1,678 COP 5.3M

58.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,860 CA$4,044

$652 COP 2.1M

338.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

10.94

-57.95%

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

Last update for Hamilton: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamilton

$1.1K 49.9%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 45.2% $508

Groceries & Markets

Hamilton

$335 14.9%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 12% $40

Eating Out

Hamilton

$266 11.8%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 36.8% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamilton

$243 10.8%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 11.9% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Hamilton

$124 5.5%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 36.9% $46

Getting Around

Hamilton

$104 4.6%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 10.4% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Hamilton

$57 2.5%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 0.9% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,251 in Hamilton and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 338% 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: $66.0 in Hamilton vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $295 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

11:47 11:47 AM

10:47 10:47 AM

1 h behind Hamilton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

519,949

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 17, 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 17, 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 →

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Between locations

Hamilton Medellin 4,130 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Hamilton
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

Hamilton vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 338% higher in Hamilton, 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 Hamilton versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $600 in Hamilton versus $770 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,614 in Medellin versus $2,253 in Hamilton, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. 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 Hamilton, 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 40% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.