Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hay River, NT and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,228 in Hay River, NT, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hay River, NT
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,228
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,625
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,228 per month in Hay River, NT vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Hay River, NT $2,228
  • Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $3,228 per month in Hay River, NT vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Hay River, NT $3,228
  • Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $4,227 per month in Hay River, NT vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Hay River, NT $4,227
  • Medellin $3,199

Hay River, NT costs about 37% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Hay River, NT and Medellin sit above the global median – Hay River, NT by 64%, Medellin by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hay River, NT
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.76 CA$25.11
$8.30 COP 26.3K
113.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.5 CA$91.1
$46.91 COP 148.7K
37.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.38 CA$14.67
$9.24 COP 29.3K
12.34%
Cappuccino
$3.54 CA$5.01
$3.05 COP 9,676
16.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 CA$2.87
$1.80 COP 5,707
12.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 CA$2.27
$1.38 COP 4,382
15.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.28 CA$7.46
$3.24 COP 10.3K
62.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.67 CA$8.01
$5.56 COP 17.6K
1.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hay River, NT
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.00 CA$2.82
$1.50 COP 4,760
33.33%
White Bread (500g)
$2.50 CA$3.53
$2.37 COP 7,508
5.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.28 CA$4.63
$1.70 COP 5,377
92.94%
Eggs
$3.44 CA$4.86
$2.96 COP 9,379
16.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.04 CA$14.19
$10.22 COP 32.4K
-1.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.38 CA$16.09
$9.74 COP 30.9K
16.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.79 CA$20.91
$13.90 COP 44.1K
6.40%
Apples (1kg)
$3.71 CA$5.24
$4.13 COP 13.1K
-10.17%
Banana (1kg)
$1.32 CA$1.87
$1.53 COP 4,839
-13.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.74 CA$5.29
$2.22 COP 7,052
68.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.79 CA$5.35
$2.27 COP 7,194
66.96%
Potato (1kg)
$2.45 CA$3.46
$1.99 COP 6,311
23.12%
Onion (1kg)
$2.25 CA$3.17
$1.67 COP 5,285
34.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.42 CA$3.42
$1.18 COP 3,742
105.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 CA$2.29
$1.24 COP 3,919
30.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.17 CA$20.03
$3.87 COP 12.3K
266.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.77 CA$18.05
$13.78 COP 43.7K
-7.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.63 CA$3.72
$1.66 COP 5,256
58.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 CA$4.38
$2.40 COP 7,615
29.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Hay River, NT
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 CA$3.20
$1.24 COP 3,944
82.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$62.1 CA$87.7
$78.2 COP 248.0K
-20.65%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.79 CA$3.95
$1.28 COP 4,044
117.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.46 CA$2.07
$2.15 COP 6,803
-32.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.52 CA$31.83
$8.37 COP 26.5K
169.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.15 CA$1.62
$1.35 COP 4,288
-14.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K CA$39.6K
$34.8K COP 110.2M
-19.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K CA$27.1K
$34.7K COP 110.0M
-44.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hay River, NT
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$131 CA$186
$167 COP 528.4K
-21.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$37.62 CA$53.2
$13.62 COP 43.2K
176.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.7 CA$74.4
$29.12 COP 92.3K
80.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hay River, NT
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.43 CA$57.2
$45.09 COP 143.0K
-10.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.00 CA$25.45
$17.18 COP 54.5K
4.77%
Cinema Ticket
$10.86 CA$15.35
$6.97 COP 22.1K
55.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hay River, NT
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$760 CA$1,074
$790 COP 2.5M
-3.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.1K CA$18.5K
$9,041 COP 28.7M
44.59%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hay River, NT
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.6 CA$74.4
$87.8 COP 278.4K
-40.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.34 CA$54.2
$58.2 COP 184.4K
-34.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.9 CA$119
$139 COP 440.7K
-39.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 CA$147
$98.9 COP 313.5K
5.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hay River, NT
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,130 CA$1,597
$1,028 COP 3.3M
9.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,120 CA$1,584
$620 COP 2.0M
80.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,928 CA$2,725
$1,881 COP 6.0M
2.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,716 CA$2,426
$1,008 COP 3.2M
70.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,164 CA$5,887
$3,988 COP 12.6M
4.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,582 CA$5,065
$1,702 COP 5.4M
110.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hay River, NT
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,273 CA$6,041
$663 COP 2.1M
544.21%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.66
10.94
-57.40%

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

Last update for Hay River, NT: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hay River, NT
$1.1K
Medellin
$619 44.7% $501
Groceries & Markets
Hay River, NT
$349
Medellin
$298 14.8% $52
Eating Out
Hay River, NT
$268
Medellin
$171 36.3% $97
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hay River, NT
$222
Medellin
$209 5.6% $12
Clothing & Footwear
Hay River, NT
$125
Medellin
$173 37.7% $47
Getting Around
Hay River, NT
$81
Medellin
$95 17.2% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Hay River, NT
$62
Medellin
$59 5% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,130 in Hay River, NT versus $1,028 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 544% higher in Hay River, NT, 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 $64.0 in Hay River, NT versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $298 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Hay River, NT
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
07:52 7:52 AM
08:52 8:52 AM
1 h ahead of Hay River, NT
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,600
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hay River, NT Medellin 6,920 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Hay River, NT
  • 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
Hay River, NT vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Hay River, NT or Medellin?
Hay River, NT costs about 37% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Hay River, NT and in Medellin?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,342 per month in Hay River, NT and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Hay River, NT or Medellin?
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.
How much does it cost to live in Hay River, NT compared to Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,228 in Hay River, NT and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 37%.
How expensive is transport in Hay River, NT compared to Medellin?
Public transport costs about 26% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Hay River, NT or in Medellin?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Hay River, NT at $2,228. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hay River, NT it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Hay River, NT or Medellin?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,625 versus $2,228 in Hay River, NT. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Hay River, NT or to Medellin?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hay River, NT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Hay River, NT vs other spots: cost of living compared

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