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: $2,777 in Markham versus $1,028 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,946 in Markham versus $1,586 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,115 in Markham versus $2,144 in Medellin.

Living in Markham is roughly 170% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Markham is 108% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.89 CA$21.05

$6.00 COP 20.6K

148.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.8 CA$113

$32.84 COP 112.9K

142.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.82 CA$12.47

$7.42 COP 25.5K

18.87%

Cappuccino

$3.22 CA$4.55

$1.65 COP 5,675

95.15%

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

$2.08 CA$2.94

$1.07 COP 3,673

94.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$0.76 COP 2,614

78.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 CA$5.27

$1.72 COP 5,925

116.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 CA$9.39

$3.20 COP 11.0K

107.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 CA$2.47

$1.05 COP 3,607

66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.31 COP 4,492

73.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 CA$2.19

$1.34 COP 4,604

15.67%

Eggs

$3.30 CA$4.67

$2.19 COP 7,543

50.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.66 CA$22.14

$4.41 COP 15.2K

255.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 CA$14.29

$5.69 COP 19.6K

77.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.54 CA$10.66

$8.52 COP 29.3K

-11.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 CA$6.46

$2.34 COP 8,046

95.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 CA$1.99

$1.11 COP 3,815

27.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 CA$3.37

$1.52 COP 5,225

57.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 CA$5.00

$1.37 COP 4,694

158.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 CA$3.54

$1.15 COP 3,962

117.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 CA$2.95

$1.18 COP 4,055

77.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.20 CA$4.53

$0.84 COP 2,893

280.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 CA$2.36

$0.86 COP 2,940

94.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.24 CA$20.14

$2.26 COP 7,776

530.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.95 CA$21.13

$11.60 COP 39.9K

28.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 CA$3.09

$1.20 COP 4,121

82.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 CA$3.15

$2.48 COP 8,508

-10.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.19 CA$4.51

$0.79 COP 2,729

303.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.2 CA$136

$40.83 COP 140.4K

135.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 CA$4.55

$1.47 COP 5,038

119.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.80 CA$3.96

$1.92 COP 6,587

45.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.33 CA$31.56

$7.77 COP 26.7K

187.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 CA$1.56

$1.01 COP 3,474

8.91%

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

$25.3K CA$35.8K

$17.7K COP 60.7M

43.49%

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

$20.3K CA$28.7K

$26.5K COP 90.9M

-23.35%

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

$202 CA$285

$81.1 COP 278.8K

148.56%

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

$33.58 CA$47.46

$9.43 COP 32.4K

256.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.9 CA$84.7

$23.86 COP 82.0K

150.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.46 CA$65.7

$25.99 COP 89.4K

78.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.12 CA$19.96

$18.71 COP 64.3K

-24.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 CA$15.62

$4.09 COP 14.1K

170.17%

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

$922 CA$1,303

$315 COP 1.1M

193.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K CA$39.9K

$6,022 COP 20.7M

368.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.25 CA$62.6

$59.7 COP 205.2K

-25.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.36 CA$51.4

$31.97 COP 109.9K

13.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.6 CA$87.1

$101 COP 347.9K

-39.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 CA$114

$105 COP 361.3K

-23.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,736 CA$2,454

$485 COP 1.7M

257.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,597 CA$2,257

$365 COP 1.3M

337.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,952 CA$4,173

$827 COP 2.8M

257.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,501 CA$3,535

$730 COP 2.5M

242.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,019 CA$8,508

$2,992 COP 10.3M

101.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,431 CA$7,676

$1,314 COP 4.5M

313.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,168 CA$4,478

$551 COP 1.9M

475.14%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,736 in Markham and $485 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Markham pays 475% 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 $328 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 170% 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.

Average pay runs 475% higher in Markham, 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: $1,736 in Markham versus $485 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $922 in Markham versus $315 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Markham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,028 in Medellin versus $2,777 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 $1,028 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 170% less than in Markham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.