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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,776 in Burnaby.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $4,068 in Burnaby.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $5,359 in Burnaby.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 64% less than in Burnaby, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 24% below, Burnaby is 107% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$14.75 CA$20.49

-59.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$73.9 CA$103

-55.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$8.95 CA$12.43

-20.78%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$4.19 CA$5.82

-59.19%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$1.81 CA$2.52

-39.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$1.33 CA$1.85

-41.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$5.91 CA$8.21

-71.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$5.56 CA$7.73

-44.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$2.55 CA$3.55

-57.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$2.77 CA$3.85

-54.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$4.48 CA$6.23

-69.20%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$3.13 CA$4.34

-30.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$12.33 CA$17.13

-64.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$11.98 CA$16.65

-53.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$21.64 CA$30.06

-58.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$3.34 CA$4.64

-29.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$1.28 CA$1.78

-17.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$3.00 CA$4.17

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$3.84 CA$5.33

-64.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$2.89 CA$4.02

-60.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$3.00 CA$4.17

-61.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$2.39 CA$3.32

-62.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$1.89 CA$2.63

-55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$14.84 CA$20.61

-84.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$13.26 CA$18.42

-19.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$2.41 CA$3.35

-50.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$2.52 CA$3.51

-1.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$2.28 CA$3.17

-62.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$77.2 CA$107

-46.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$2.80 CA$3.89

-47.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$1.42 CA$1.97

38.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$25.32 CA$35.18

-69.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.31 CA$1.82

-27.48%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$25.3K CA$35.2K

-28.45%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$20.4K CA$28.4K

29.64%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$136 CA$188

-39.33%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$42.55 CA$59.1

-77.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$55.6 CA$77.2

-56.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$31.32 CA$43.52

-17.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$5.61 CA$7.80

238.68%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$16.29 CA$22.63

-75.87%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$547 CA$760

-43.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$8,127 CA$11.3K

-26.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$54.7 CA$76.0

7.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$53.6 CA$74.5

-39.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$93.6 CA$130

9.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$96.4 CA$134

12.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$1,909 CA$2,653

-75.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$1,658 CA$2,304

-77.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$3,989 CA$5,543

-78.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$2,650 CA$3,682

-72.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$6,878 CA$9,556

-59.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$5,525 CA$7,676

-78.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$3,275 CA$4,551

-84.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

6.54

105.35%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Burnaby: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $1,909 in Burnaby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 540% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $74.0 in Burnaby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $392 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 174% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $2,776 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Burnaby earns 540% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $1,909 in Burnaby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $547 in Burnaby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 108% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,776 in Burnaby, a $1,500 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 174% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.