Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Airdrie

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,579 in Airdrie, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Airdrie
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Airdrie Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Airdrie

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,579

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Airdrie

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Airdrie actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $2,579 in Airdrie, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Airdrie $2,579

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $3,704 in Airdrie, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Airdrie $3,704

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $4,829 in Airdrie, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Airdrie $4,829

Medellin is about 34% cheaper than Airdrie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Airdrie sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Airdrie by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$18.37 CA$25.96

-54.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.7K

$78.4 CA$111

-40.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$10.65 CA$15.05

-11.08%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$3.92 CA$5.53

-20.15%

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

$1.77 COP 5,722

$2.31 CA$3.26

-23.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,615

$2.03 CA$2.87

-30.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$5.87 CA$8.29

-46.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$6.23 CA$8.80

-8.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,965

$1.98 CA$2.80

-22.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,422

$2.65 CA$3.75

-13.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,301

$3.64 CA$5.15

-46.70%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,934

$3.71 CA$5.24

-17.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$10.98 CA$15.51

-9.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.8K

$11.27 CA$15.92

-7.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.2K

$19.11 CA$26.99

-26.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$4.75 CA$6.71

-14.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,951

$1.36 CA$1.93

12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,817

$4.38 CA$6.19

-52.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,431

$3.87 CA$5.47

-40.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,833

$2.86 CA$4.04

-26.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,537

$2.96 CA$4.18

-42.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,791

$2.71 CA$3.83

-56.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,119

$1.88 CA$2.66

-15.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$14.38 CA$20.31

-72.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.5K

$11.40 CA$16.10

23.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,707

$3.54 CA$4.99

-50.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,785

$3.17 CA$4.48

-14.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,822

$2.10 CA$2.97

-43.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.1K

$181 CA$255

-57.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,853

$3.29 CA$4.65

-44.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,898

$1.39 CA$1.96

53.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

$21.17 CA$29.91

-61.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,131

$1.17 CA$1.66

9.40%

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

$34.4K COP 111.6M

$27.9K CA$39.4K

23.65%

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

$34.1K COP 110.6M

$20.9K CA$29.5K

63.32%

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

$178 COP 575.7K

$223 CA$315

-20.36%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$44.70 CA$63.2

-68.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.6K

$55.5 CA$78.4

-44.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.9K

$87.4 CA$124

-52.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.4K

$35.08 CA$49.57

-52.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$14.09 CA$19.91

-46.98%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$646 CA$913

22.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.8M

$9,848 CA$13.9K

24.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 279.7K

$43.68 CA$61.7

97.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.0K

$43.16 CA$61.0

37.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.2K

$85.7 CA$121

61.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.1K

$110 CA$156

-10.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$1,271 CA$1,795

5.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$1,142 CA$1,614

-41.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$1,765 CA$2,494

11.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$1,655 CA$2,338

-37.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

$6,073 CA$8,581

-32.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$6,230 CA$8,802

-68.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$2,961 CA$4,183

-78.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.32

153.24%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Airdrie: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Airdrie

$1.1K 44.3% 71.2% $475

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Airdrie

$386 15% 25.5% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Airdrie

$323 12.5% 45.4% $101

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Airdrie

$285 11.1% 65.2% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Airdrie

$127 4.9% 26.1% $45

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Airdrie

$199 7.7% 113% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Airdrie

$116 4.5% 103% $59

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $1,271 in Airdrie. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Airdrie are about 4.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $78 in Airdrie. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $386 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇦 Airdrie

🕒 Local time

12:41 12:41 PM

11:41 11:41 AM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

54,891

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.09 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1 CAD = 0.708 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 3,239 COP (10,000 COP = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 3,610 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.708 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Airdrie 6,130 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Airdrie

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

Medellin vs Airdrie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,692 in Medellin, $2,579 in Airdrie – Medellin comes out roughly 34% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $3,869 in Airdrie. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,341 in Medellin and $1,271 in Airdrie. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $2,579 in Airdrie. That makes Medellin about 34% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 58% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,692, than in Airdrie at $2,579. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Airdrie it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,692 in Medellin to $2,579 in Airdrie. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Airdrie makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.