Cost of Living Comparison Between Iqaluit, NU and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Iqaluit, NU and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,981 in Iqaluit, NU versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,655 in Iqaluit, NU versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,330 in Iqaluit, NU versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Iqaluit, NU is roughly 74% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Iqaluit, NU 117% above, Medellin 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.40 CA$39.16

$8.03 COP 25.2K

253.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.1 CA$91.2

$48.26 COP 151.7K

36.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.89 CA$17.78

$9.77 COP 30.7K

31.93%

Cappuccino

$7.01 CA$9.66

$2.91 COP 9,149

140.89%

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

$3.71 CA$5.12

$1.94 COP 6,110

91.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 CA$2.30

$1.52 COP 4,783

9.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 CA$9.29

$3.09 COP 9,721

117.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 CA$7.82

$5.74 COP 18.1K

-1.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 CA$3.43

$1.36 COP 4,287

83.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 CA$3.56

$2.39 COP 7,505

7.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 CA$4.67

$1.70 COP 5,346

99.41%

Eggs

$3.59 CA$4.96

$2.87 COP 9,021

25.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.13 CA$13.96

$9.94 COP 31.2K

1.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.53 CA$18.65

$10.78 COP 33.9K

25.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.67 CA$20.23

$14.73 COP 46.3K

-0.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.45

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-3.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 CA$1.86

$1.57 COP 4,940

-14.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.28

$2.13 COP 6,682

79.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.37

$2.21 COP 6,959

76.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 CA$3.53

$2.05 COP 6,435

24.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 CA$3.15

$1.50 COP 4,728

52.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CA$3.43

$1.19 COP 3,740

109.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.24

$1.16 COP 3,640

40.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.27 CA$19.68

$3.90 COP 12.2K

265.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.71 CA$17.53

$14.44 COP 45.4K

-11.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 CA$3.84

$1.58 COP 4,978

76.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 CA$4.42

$2.83 COP 8,889

13.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.31 CA$3.18

$1.17 COP 3,672

97.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 CA$88.8

$77.7 COP 244.3K

-17.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.62 CA$9.14

$1.28 COP 4,038

417.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 CA$1.95

$2.09 COP 6,576

-32.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.39 CA$33.63

$8.62 COP 27.1K

182.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 CA$1.55

$1.30 COP 4,080

-13.08%

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

$38.8K CA$53.5K

$27.7K COP 86.9M

40.24%

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

$32.0K CA$44.1K

$35.5K COP 111.6M

-9.84%

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

$117 CA$161

$176 COP 553.4K

-33.58%

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

$39.60 CA$54.6

$13.37 COP 42.0K

196.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 CA$79.4

$29.89 COP 94.0K

92.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.22 CA$58.2

$44.76 COP 140.7K

-5.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 CA$25.27

$17.06 COP 53.6K

7.39%

Cinema Ticket

$8.42 CA$11.61

$6.20 COP 19.5K

35.81%

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

$776 CA$1,070

$793 COP 2.5M

-2.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K CA$18.8K

$9,019 COP 28.4M

51.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 CA$73.7

$85.6 COP 269.1K

-37.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 CA$52.9

$58.5 COP 183.8K

-34.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.9 CA$120

$136 COP 428.4K

-36.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CA$142

$103 COP 324.1K

-0.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 CA$2,519

$1,060 COP 3.3M

72.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 CA$2,355

$680 COP 2.1M

151.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,929 CA$4,038

$2,012 COP 6.3M

45.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,445 CA$4,751

$1,169 COP 3.7M

194.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,330 CA$5,971

$4,111 COP 12.9M

5.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,729 CA$5,142

$1,701 COP 5.3M

119.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,205 CA$5,799

$665 COP 2.1M

532.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

10.94

-51.37%

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

Last update for Iqaluit, NU: August 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,827 in Iqaluit, NU and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iqaluit, NU pays 532% 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 Iqaluit, NU vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $371 vs $303 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

Iqaluit, NU vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 532% higher in Iqaluit, NU, 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: $1,827 in Iqaluit, NU versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $776 in Iqaluit, NU versus $793 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Iqaluit, NU. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,716 in Medellin versus $2,981 in Iqaluit, NU, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Iqaluit, NU. 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 Iqaluit, NU, 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 74% less than in Iqaluit, NU. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.