Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Burnaby Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Burnaby

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $2,869 in Burnaby.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $4,015 in Burnaby.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $5,160 in Burnaby.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 43% less than in Burnaby, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 19% above, Burnaby 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$21.82 CA$30.27

-63.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$87.5 CA$121

-44.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$9.54 CA$13.24

-1.26%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$4.81 CA$6.67

-38.88%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$2.35 CA$3.27

-20.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$1.80 CA$2.50

-18.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$7.19 CA$9.98

-55.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$6.10 CA$8.46

-6.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$2.40 CA$3.33

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$2.92 CA$4.05

-17.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$3.60 CA$4.99

-52.78%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$3.30 CA$4.58

-12.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$14.34 CA$19.89

-29.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$14.01 CA$19.43

-28.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$25.31 CA$35.10

-43.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$4.56 CA$6.33

-12.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.30 CA$1.81

21.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$4.65 CA$6.45

-53.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$4.59 CA$6.36

-49.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$2.90 CA$4.02

-31.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$3.60 CA$4.99

-58.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$2.83 CA$3.93

-57.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$2.17 CA$3.01

-41.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$14.60 CA$20.25

-73.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$13.78 CA$19.11

1.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$2.10 CA$2.91

-18.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.38 CA$3.30

15.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$2.46 CA$3.42

-49.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$80.9 CA$112

-3.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$2.98 CA$4.13

-56.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.47 CA$2.04

47.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$26.88 CA$37.28

-69.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.33 CA$1.84

2.26%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$28.3K CA$39.2K

-2.78%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$19.7K CA$27.3K

85.65%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$125 CA$173

35.38%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$44.12 CA$61.2

-69.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$54.1 CA$75.0

-47.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$31.15 CA$43.20

46.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$10.89 CA$15.11

58.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$14.55 CA$20.18

-54.30%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$667 CA$925

20.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$53.3 CA$73.9

63.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$52.5 CA$72.8

13.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$105 CA$146

31.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$80.1 CA$111

27.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$1,690 CA$2,344

-36.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$1,550 CA$2,149

-57.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$2,476 CA$3,434

-22.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$2,189 CA$3,036

-52.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$6,866 CA$9,523

-39.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$5,585 CA$7,746

-69.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$3,162 CA$4,386

-79.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.76

129.83%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Burnaby: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $1,690 in Burnaby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 383% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $88.0 in Burnaby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $438 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 Burnaby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Burnaby differ by about 75% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $2,869 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 383% lower in Burnaby. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,071 in Medellin versus $1,690 in Burnaby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $667 in Burnaby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,641 in Medellin versus $2,869 in Burnaby, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Burnaby. 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 75% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.