Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Markham and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,416 in Markham, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in Markham
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Markham Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Markham

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,416

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,416 in Markham versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Markham $2,416
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Markham versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Markham $3,465
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,514 in Markham versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Markham $4,514
Medellin $3,190

Living in Markham is roughly 50% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Markham 79% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.37 CA$24.70

$7.93 COP 25.2K

119.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.4 CA$76.0

$46.13 COP 146.7K

15.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 CA$14.89

$9.50 COP 30.2K

10.21%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.42

$3.11 COP 9,897

22.51%

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

$1.70 CA$2.42

$1.83 COP 5,818

-7.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 CA$1.67

$1.38 COP 4,374

-15.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 CA$5.10

$3.05 COP 9,702

17.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 CA$7.99

$5.50 COP 17.5K

2.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 CA$2.76

$1.45 COP 4,614

33.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$2.36 COP 7,519

-5.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.70

$1.68 COP 5,345

13.10%

Eggs

$2.99 CA$4.25

$2.86 COP 9,106

4.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.4K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.70 CA$16.64

$9.53 COP 30.3K

22.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.81 CA$9.68

$14.04 COP 44.7K

-51.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 CA$5.25

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-9.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 CA$1.80

$1.50 COP 4,757

-16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 CA$3.31

$2.17 COP 6,913

7.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.63

$2.31 COP 7,333

41.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 CA$2.92

$1.93 COP 6,132

6.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 CA$2.79

$1.64 COP 5,212

19.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 CA$4.08

$1.13 COP 3,582

153.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.25 COP 3,966

18.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.44 CA$19.11

$3.99 COP 12.7K

236.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.53 CA$20.66

$13.35 COP 42.5K

8.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 CA$3.41

$1.70 COP 5,400

41.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 CA$4.54

$2.37 COP 7,549

34.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 CA$4.32

$1.21 COP 3,839

151.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 CA$127

$76.5 COP 243.3K

16.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 CA$4.71

$1.32 COP 4,193

150.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,795

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.60 CA$26.44

$8.47 COP 26.9K

119.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 CA$1.61

$1.30 COP 4,127

-13.08%

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

$28.1K CA$40.0K

$28.0K COP 89.0M

0.45%

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

$18.1K CA$25.8K

$35.4K COP 112.6M

-48.82%

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

$125 CA$178

$172 COP 547.3K

-27.13%

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

$26.20 CA$37.26

$13.37 COP 42.5K

95.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.69 CA$65.0

$28.73 COP 91.4K

59.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.62 CA$60.6

$45.24 COP 143.9K

-5.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.28 CA$30.26

$17.04 COP 54.2K

24.88%

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 CA$14.49

$6.28 COP 20.0K

62.26%

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

$870 CA$1,237

$770 COP 2.4M

12.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.5K CA$39.0K

$9,011 COP 28.7M

204.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.21 CA$61.4

$86.4 COP 274.8K

-49.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.22 CA$52.9

$57.1 COP 181.7K

-34.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 CA$130

$137 COP 434.3K

-33.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CA$149

$97.9 COP 311.4K

7.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,554 CA$2,210

$1,055 COP 3.4M

47.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 CA$1,978

$616 COP 2.0M

125.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,699 CA$3,838

$1,892 COP 6.0M

42.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,236 CA$3,179

$1,023 COP 3.3M

118.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,896 CA$8,382

$4,059 COP 12.9M

45.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,309 CA$7,549

$1,678 COP 5.3M

216.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,132 CA$4,453

$652 COP 2.1M

380.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.56

10.94

-58.32%

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

Last update for Markham: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Markham

$1.4K 57.6%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 55.7% $775

Groceries & Markets

Markham

$279 * 11.5%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 5.8% $16

Eating Out

Markham

$257 10.6%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 34.4% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Markham

$197 8.2%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 8.6% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Markham

$124 5.2%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 36.7% $46

Getting Around

Markham

$105 * 4.3%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 10.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Markham

$63 2.6%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 8.2% $5.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,554 in Markham and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Markham pays 380% 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: $53.0 in Markham vs $46.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $279 vs $295, with Markham cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Markham

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

12:52 12:52 PM

11:52 11:52 AM

1 h behind Markham

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

338,503

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,564 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Markham Medellin 4,200 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Markham
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

Markham vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 50% 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 380% 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: $1,554 in Markham versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $870 in Markham versus $770 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Markham pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,614 in Medellin versus $2,416 in Markham, a $2,500 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 $1,614 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 50% less than in Markham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.