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: $2,467 in Markham versus $1,687 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,565 in Markham versus $2,535 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,662 in Markham versus $3,383 in Medellin.

Living in Markham is roughly 46% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Markham 80% above, Medellin 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.90 CA$24.66

$7.89 COP 24.2K

126.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.3 CA$73.4

$44.53 COP 136.5K

19.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 CA$14.78

$9.29 COP 28.5K

15.50%

Cappuccino

$3.72 CA$5.13

$2.90 COP 8,874

28.28%

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

$1.82 CA$2.51

$1.81 COP 5,541

0.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 CA$1.89

$1.55 COP 4,741

-11.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.72 CA$6.51

$3.25 COP 9,962

45.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 CA$9.88

$5.88 COP 18.0K

21.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 CA$2.77

$1.38 COP 4,230

45.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 CA$3.05

$2.45 COP 7,517

-9.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 CA$2.71

$1.51 COP 4,617

30.46%

Eggs

$3.09 CA$4.26

$2.78 COP 8,516

11.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 COP 27.7K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.12 CA$16.70

$10.65 COP 32.6K

13.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.23 CA$9.96

$14.63 COP 44.8K

-50.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.28

$3.97 COP 12.2K

-3.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 CA$1.81

$1.38 COP 4,219

-4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 CA$3.19

$2.30 COP 7,056

0.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 CA$4.72

$2.02 COP 6,185

69.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 CA$2.82

$2.09 COP 6,390

-1.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.66

$1.63 COP 4,996

18.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 CA$4.02

$1.08 COP 3,313

170.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.13

$1.25 COP 3,843

24.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.79 CA$19.00

$4.03 COP 12.4K

242.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 CA$20.89

$13.47 COP 41.3K

12.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 CA$3.50

$1.60 COP 4,904

58.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 CA$4.43

$3.00 COP 9,189

7.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 CA$4.32

$1.18 COP 3,611

166.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.2 CA$127

$79.9 COP 244.9K

15.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 CA$4.61

$1.61 COP 4,920

107.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,533

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.98 CA$26.15

$8.52 COP 26.1K

122.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 CA$1.55

$1.35 COP 4,142

-17.04%

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

$29.0K CA$39.9K

$28.3K COP 86.8M

2.30%

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

$18.3K CA$25.2K

$35.7K COP 109.4M

-48.67%

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

$127 CA$175

$151 COP 463.8K

-15.86%

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

$26.97 CA$37.16

$13.10 COP 40.1K

105.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.53 CA$65.5

$32.30 COP 99.0K

47.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.83 CA$60.4

$46.33 COP 141.9K

-5.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.24 CA$29.26

$17.26 COP 52.9K

23.06%

Cinema Ticket

$10.45 CA$14.39

$6.43 COP 19.7K

62.52%

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

$883 CA$1,217

$835 COP 2.6M

5.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.5K CA$39.2K

$8,887 COP 27.2M

220.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.43 CA$59.8

$89.3 COP 273.7K

-51.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.19 CA$52.6

$55.3 COP 169.5K

-30.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 CA$129

$137 COP 418.5K

-31.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 CA$136

$109 COP 335.1K

-9.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,620 CA$2,232

$952 COP 2.9M

70.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 CA$1,939

$668 COP 2.0M

110.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,744 CA$3,781

$2,020 COP 6.2M

35.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,331 CA$3,212

$1,148 COP 3.5M

103.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,085 CA$8,384

$3,696 COP 11.3M

64.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,645 CA$7,777

$1,586 COP 4.9M

256.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,139 CA$4,325

$625 COP 1.9M

401.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.56

10.43

-56.28%

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

Last update for Markham: August 15, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,620 in Markham and $952 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Markham pays 402% 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 $45.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $297, with Markham cheaper for home cooking.

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 46% 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 402% 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: $1,620 in Markham versus $952 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $883 in Markham versus $835 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Markham pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,687 in Medellin versus $2,467 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 $1,687 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 46% less than in Markham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.