Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Alliston

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,109 in Alliston, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Alliston
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Alliston Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Alliston

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,109

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Alliston

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 Alliston actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $2,109 in Alliston, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Alliston $2,109

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $3,308 in Alliston, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Alliston $3,308

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $4,507 in Alliston, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Alliston $4,507

Medellin is about 23% cheaper than Alliston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Alliston sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Alliston by 56%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$17.62 CA$24.91

-52.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$78.0 CA$110

-39.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$10.64 CA$15.04

-13.16%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$1.43 CA$2.02

113.29%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$2.10 CA$2.97

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$1.67 CA$2.35

-17.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$6.46 CA$9.13

-49.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$6.81 CA$9.63

-18.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$2.53 CA$3.58

-40.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$2.62 CA$3.70

-9.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$2.16 CA$3.05

-21.30%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$3.04 CA$4.29

-2.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$9.32 CA$13.18

9.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$11.30 CA$15.98

-13.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$7.07 CA$9.99

96.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$3.59 CA$5.08

15.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.16 CA$1.64

31.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$3.44 CA$4.86

-35.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$3.88 CA$5.49

-41.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.83 CA$2.58

8.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.61 CA$2.27

3.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$2.28 CA$3.22

-48.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.71 CA$1.00

74.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$13.89 CA$19.64

-72.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$6.96 CA$9.83

97.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$2.19 CA$3.09

-24.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$2.43 CA$3.44

-1.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$2.25 CA$3.18

-44.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$61.5 CA$86.9

27.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$2.94 CA$4.15

-56.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$1.22 CA$1.72

76.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$21.57 CA$30.50

-61.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$0.96 CA$1.36

40.63%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$27.7K CA$39.2K

25.42%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$19.9K CA$28.2K

74.14%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$120 CA$170

38.62%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$28.09 CA$39.71

-51.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$48.40 CA$68.4

-39.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$25.52 CA$36.07

76.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$17.69 CA$25.00

-2.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$11.24 CA$15.89

-37.99%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$811 CA$1,146

-2.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$23.6K CA$33.3K

-61.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$50.9 CA$71.9

72.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$39.78 CA$56.2

46.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$99.1 CA$140

40.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$122 CA$172

-18.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$1,234 CA$1,744

-16.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$1,101 CA$1,557

-43.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$1,934 CA$2,734

-2.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$2,122 CA$2,999

-52.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$4,176 CA$5,904

-4.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$3,581 CA$5,063

-52.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$1,837 CA$2,597

-63.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.47

144.74%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Alliston: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Alliston

$1.1K 52.2% 77.7% $482

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Alliston

$292 13.9% 2% $5.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Alliston

$197 9.3% 6.1% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Alliston

$140 6.7% 18.8% $32

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Alliston

$251 11.9% 46.9% $80

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Alliston

$80 3.8% 16.5% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Alliston

$48 2.3% 18.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,234 in Alliston. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 177% higher in Alliston, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $78.0 in Alliston. Groceries tell a different story – $298 in Medellin vs $292 in Alliston – so Alliston wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇦 Alliston

🕒 Local time

09:20 9:20 AM

10:20 10:20 AM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Alliston 4,230 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Alliston

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 Alliston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Alliston is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $3,163 in Alliston. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Alliston – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $78.0 in Alliston. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Alliston at $2,109. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alliston it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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