Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iqaluit, NU and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,950 in Iqaluit, NU, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

143

Cost of Living Index in Iqaluit, NU
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Iqaluit, NU Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Iqaluit, NU

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,950

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,950 in Iqaluit, NU versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Iqaluit, NU $2,950
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,618 in Iqaluit, NU versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Iqaluit, NU $4,618
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,286 in Iqaluit, NU versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Iqaluit, NU $6,286
Medellin $3,199

Living in Iqaluit, NU is roughly 82% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Iqaluit, NU 118% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.52 CA$38.91

$8.30 COP 26.3K

231.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 CA$91.6

$46.91 COP 148.7K

38.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.90 CA$18.24

$9.24 COP 29.3K

39.61%

Cappuccino

$7.04 CA$9.95

$3.05 COP 9,676

130.82%

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

$3.63 CA$5.14

$1.80 COP 5,707

101.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.31

$1.38 COP 4,382

18.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.57 CA$9.29

$3.24 COP 10.3K

102.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.82 CA$8.23

$5.56 COP 17.6K

4.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 CA$3.41

$1.50 COP 4,760

61.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 CA$3.56

$2.37 COP 7,508

6.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$1.70 COP 5,377

98.82%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.88

$2.96 COP 9,379

16.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 CA$14.01

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-3.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.57 CA$19.19

$9.74 COP 30.9K

39.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.93 CA$21.10

$13.90 COP 44.1K

7.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 CA$5.19

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-11.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 CA$1.80

$1.53 COP 4,839

-16.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.68 CA$5.20

$2.22 COP 7,052

65.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 CA$5.47

$2.27 COP 7,194

70.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 CA$3.43

$1.99 COP 6,311

21.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 CA$3.06

$1.67 COP 5,285

29.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.48

$1.18 COP 3,742

108.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.26

$1.24 COP 3,919

29.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.78 CA$19.48

$3.87 COP 12.3K

256.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.58 CA$17.79

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-8.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.63

$1.66 COP 5,256

54.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 CA$4.45

$2.40 COP 7,615

31.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 CA$3.29

$1.24 COP 3,944

87.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.3 CA$86.7

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-21.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 CA$9.09

$1.28 COP 4,044

402.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.08

$2.15 COP 6,803

-31.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.63 CA$36.23

$8.37 COP 26.5K

206.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.35 COP 4,288

-10.37%

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

$37.2K CA$52.6K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

7.13%

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

$31.3K CA$44.3K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-9.64%

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

$117 CA$166

$167 COP 528.4K

-29.71%

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

$38.21 CA$54.0

$13.62 COP 43.2K

180.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 CA$76.8

$29.12 COP 92.3K

86.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.12 CA$58.1

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-8.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.00 CA$25.45

$17.18 COP 54.5K

4.77%

Cinema Ticket

$7.98 CA$11.28

$6.97 COP 22.1K

14.49%

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

$698 CA$986

$790 COP 2.5M

-11.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K CA$18.7K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

45.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 CA$74.8

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-39.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.72 CA$54.7

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-33.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 CA$120

$139 COP 440.7K

-39.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CA$146

$98.9 COP 313.5K

4.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 CA$2,593

$1,028 COP 3.3M

78.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,701 CA$2,404

$620 COP 2.0M

174.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,902 CA$4,103

$1,881 COP 6.0M

54.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,459 CA$4,890

$1,008 COP 3.2M

243.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,284 CA$6,056

$3,988 COP 12.6M

7.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,562 CA$5,035

$1,702 COP 5.4M

109.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,205 CA$5,944

$663 COP 2.1M

533.89%

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: 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

Iqaluit, NU

$1.7K 57.6%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 63.6% $1.1K

Eating Out

Iqaluit, NU

$409 13.9%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 58.2% $238

Groceries & Markets

Iqaluit, NU

$364 12.3%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 18.2% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iqaluit, NU

$210 7.1%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 0.1% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Iqaluit, NU

$126 4.3%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 37.4% $47

Getting Around

Iqaluit, NU

$84 2.9%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 12.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Iqaluit, NU

$57 1.9%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 3.4% $2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,834 in Iqaluit, NU and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iqaluit, NU pays 534% 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: $65.0 in Iqaluit, NU vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $298 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Iqaluit, NU

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

07:41 7:41 AM

06:41 6:41 AM

1 h behind Iqaluit, NU

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

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 20, 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 20, 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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Between locations

Iqaluit, NU Medellin 6,420 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Iqaluit, NU
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

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

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. The 82% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 534% 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: $1,834 in Iqaluit, NU versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Iqaluit, NU versus $790 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 $1,625 in Medellin versus $2,950 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 82% less than in Iqaluit, NU. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.