Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Arviat Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Arviat

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,014 in Medellin versus $2,332 in Arviat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,596 in Medellin versus $3,375 in Arviat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,178 in Medellin versus $4,417 in Arviat.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 57% less than in Arviat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% below, Arviat is 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 COP 22.1K

$16.68 CA$22.85

-63.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.05 COP 119.0K

$69.9 CA$95.8

-52.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 COP 26.4K

$11.01 CA$15.08

-33.51%

Cappuccino

$1.66 COP 5,973

$3.70 CA$5.07

-55.14%

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

$1.10 COP 3,978

$2.05 CA$2.80

-46.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,816

$1.65 CA$2.25

-52.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 COP 6,174

$5.57 CA$7.63

-69.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 11.4K

$6.04 CA$8.27

-47.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 4,003

$2.19 CA$3.00

-49.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,709

$2.68 CA$3.67

-51.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,969

$3.51 CA$4.81

-60.68%

Eggs

$2.22 COP 7,992

$3.45 CA$4.72

-35.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 COP 15.6K

$11.13 CA$15.25

-61.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.9K

$11.63 CA$15.94

-50.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 COP 32.3K

$14.96 CA$20.49

-39.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 COP 8,146

$3.98 CA$5.45

-43.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,014

$1.37 CA$1.88

-18.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 COP 5,273

$3.78 CA$5.17

-61.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,918

$3.87 CA$5.30

-64.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,000

$2.39 CA$3.27

-53.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,190

$2.47 CA$3.39

-53.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,204

$2.54 CA$3.48

-64.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 COP 3,117

$1.72 CA$2.35

-49.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,476

$13.74 CA$18.83

-82.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.86 COP 39.1K

$12.78 CA$17.50

-15.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,321

$2.82 CA$3.86

-57.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,927

$3.05 CA$4.17

-18.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,836

$2.38 CA$3.27

-66.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.77 COP 146.8K

$63.3 CA$86.7

-35.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 5,125

$3.21 CA$4.40

-55.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,885

$1.44 CA$1.97

32.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.65 COP 27.6K

$26.22 CA$35.92

-70.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 COP 3,482

$1.13 CA$1.54

-14.16%

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

$18.1K COP 65.2M

$25.5K CA$34.9K

-28.96%

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

$26.3K COP 94.8M

$20.3K CA$27.8K

29.56%

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

$81.3 COP 292.9K

$144 CA$197

-43.34%

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

$9.63 COP 34.7K

$43.06 CA$59.0

-77.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.36 COP 87.8K

$61.5 CA$84.3

-60.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.02 COP 93.7K

$42.26 CA$57.9

-38.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 COP 68.1K

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 COP 14.0K

$11.29 CA$15.46

-65.54%

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

$304 COP 1.1M

$732 CA$1,002

-58.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,902 COP 21.3M

$11.7K CA$16.0K

-49.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 211.4K

$53.8 CA$73.7

9.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.48 COP 117.0K

$39.12 CA$53.6

-16.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 366.5K

$85.2 CA$117

19.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.6K

$109 CA$149

-0.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 COP 1.7M

$1,313 CA$1,799

-63.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$1,178 CA$1,614

-68.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 COP 3.1M

$2,043 CA$2,799

-58.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$1,835 CA$2,515

-60.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 COP 10.3M

$4,104 CA$5,623

-30.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 COP 5.0M

$3,730 CA$5,110

-63.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

6.46

107.89%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 13, 2026

Last update for Arviat: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $474 in Medellin and $1,313 in Arviat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Medellin vs $70 in Arviat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $364 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

Medellin vs Arviat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Arviat differ by about 130% in total monthly costs ($1,014 vs $2,332 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,522 in Medellin and $3,499 in Arviat to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $474 in Medellin versus $1,313 in Arviat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Medellin versus $732 in Arviat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 91% higher in Arviat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,014 in Medellin versus $2,332 in Arviat, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Arviat. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 130% less than in Arviat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.