Cost of Living Comparison Between Markham and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Markham and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,802 in Markham versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,919 in Markham versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,035 in Markham versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Markham is roughly 171% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Markham is 109% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.56 CA$19.94

$5.92 COP 21.4K

145.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.2 CA$110

$32.75 COP 118.2K

144.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 CA$12.03

$7.20 COP 26.0K

21.94%

Cappuccino

$3.26 CA$4.47

$1.70 COP 6,140

91.76%

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

$2.10 CA$2.87

$1.10 COP 3,966

90.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 CA$1.86

$0.72 COP 2,605

88.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.77 CA$5.17

$1.67 COP 6,022

125.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.47 CA$8.87

$3.10 COP 11.2K

108.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 CA$2.43

$1.06 COP 3,809

66.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 CA$3.11

$1.25 COP 4,497

81.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 CA$2.15

$1.39 COP 5,022

12.95%

Eggs

$3.32 CA$4.55

$2.26 COP 8,168

46.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.61 CA$21.38

$4.33 COP 15.6K

260.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 CA$13.61

$5.84 COP 21.1K

70.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.38 CA$10.11

$8.83 COP 31.9K

-16.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 CA$6.14

$2.24 COP 8,099

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 CA$1.92

$1.08 COP 3,882

29.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.40

$1.53 COP 5,522

62.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 CA$4.64

$1.37 COP 4,950

147.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 CA$3.31

$1.13 COP 4,078

113.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 CA$2.89

$1.12 COP 4,036

88.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.16 CA$4.33

$0.85 COP 3,057

271.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 CA$2.29

$0.91 COP 3,281

83.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.13 CA$19.36

$2.33 COP 8,414

506.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 CA$20.81

$11.13 COP 40.2K

36.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 CA$3.13

$1.19 COP 4,309

92.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.09

$2.37 COP 8,553

-5.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.17 CA$4.34

$0.79 COP 2,838

301.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.4 CA$131

$41.13 COP 148.5K

132.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 CA$4.39

$1.44 COP 5,184

122.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 CA$3.76

$1.91 COP 6,901

43.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.70 CA$29.73

$8.02 COP 28.9K

170.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 CA$1.49

$0.94 COP 3,385

15.96%

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

$25.1K CA$34.4K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

40.03%

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

$19.9K CA$27.2K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

-25.83%

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

$206 CA$282

$84.0 COP 303.1K

145.16%

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

$33.43 CA$45.80

$9.60 COP 34.7K

248.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 CA$81.7

$24.16 COP 87.2K

146.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.27 CA$63.4

$25.88 COP 93.4K

78.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 CA$19.84

$19.04 COP 68.7K

-23.95%

Cinema Ticket

$10.97 CA$15.03

$3.92 COP 14.1K

179.85%

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

$911 CA$1,249

$306 COP 1.1M

197.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.9K CA$39.6K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

387.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.74 CA$61.3

$57.9 COP 209.1K

-22.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 CA$50.4

$31.82 COP 114.9K

15.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.0 CA$83.6

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-38.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.6 CA$112

$107 COP 386.8K

-23.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,715 CA$2,349

$487 COP 1.8M

252.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,606 CA$2,200

$368 COP 1.3M

336.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,967 CA$4,064

$826 COP 3.0M

259.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,458 CA$3,368

$716 COP 2.6M

243.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,173 CA$8,456

$2,925 COP 10.6M

111.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,668 CA$7,765

$1,407 COP 5.1M

302.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,259 CA$4,465

$546 COP 2.0M

497.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

13.43

-50.93%

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

Last update for Markham: April 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,715 in Markham and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Markham pays 497% 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: $80.0 in Markham vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $190 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

Markham vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 171% lower than in Markham. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Markham pays 497% more on average, 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: $1,715 in Markham versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $911 in Markham versus $306 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Markham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $2,802 in Markham, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Markham. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,034 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Markham and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 171% less than in Markham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.