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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $2,359 in Arviat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $3,424 in Arviat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $4,488 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 24% below, Arviat is 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$17.21 CA$24.03

-65.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$69.5 CA$97.0

-52.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$10.84 CA$15.14

-33.30%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$3.68 CA$5.14

-55.71%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$1.95 CA$2.73

-44.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$1.66 CA$2.31

-56.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$5.67 CA$7.91

-69.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$5.86 CA$8.19

-44.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$2.19 CA$3.06

-52.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$2.68 CA$3.75

-51.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$3.69 CA$5.15

-64.23%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$3.48 CA$4.86

-34.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$11.09 CA$15.49

-60.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$11.96 CA$16.70

-50.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$14.92 CA$20.84

-42.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$4.12 CA$5.76

-45.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.37 CA$1.91

-21.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$3.69 CA$5.15

-58.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$3.80 CA$5.31

-62.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$2.39 CA$3.33

-51.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$2.51 CA$3.50

-53.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$2.51 CA$3.51

-64.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$1.73 CA$2.41

-47.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$13.74 CA$19.19

-83.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$13.79 CA$19.26

-19.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$2.83 CA$3.95

-59.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$3.17 CA$4.42

-24.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$2.40 CA$3.35

-65.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$63.5 CA$88.7

-33.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$3.21 CA$4.48

-56.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$1.47 CA$2.06

29.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$25.79 CA$36.01

-69.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.11 CA$1.55

-9.01%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$25.1K CA$35.0K

-29.90%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$20.7K CA$28.9K

27.83%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$141 CA$197

-40.62%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$43.25 CA$60.4

-78.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$63.6 CA$88.8

-62.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$41.64 CA$58.2

-39.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$11.28 CA$15.75

-63.65%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$748 CA$1,044

-58.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$11.7K CA$16.4K

-48.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$54.5 CA$76.1

6.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$40.00 CA$55.9

-18.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$85.9 CA$120

16.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$106 CA$148

2.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$1,312 CA$1,832

-63.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$1,193 CA$1,666

-68.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$1,988 CA$2,777

-57.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$1,829 CA$2,555

-60.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$4,519 CA$6,310

-37.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$3,453 CA$4,822

-64.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Arviat: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $1,312 in Arviat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $69.0 in Arviat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $369 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 132% in total monthly costs ($1,017 vs $2,359 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,525 in Medellin and $3,538 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: $482 in Medellin versus $1,312 in Arviat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $748 in Arviat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 94% higher in Arviat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $2,359 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 132% less than in Arviat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.