Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Canoas Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Canoas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $732 in Canoas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,165 in Canoas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,598 in Canoas.

Living in Medellin is roughly 38% more expensive than Canoas, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Canoas 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$5.70 R$28.52

5.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$22.66 R$113

45.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$6.44 R$32.24

10.09%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$1.77 R$8.85

-3.39%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.92 R$4.62

19.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.35 R$1.74

122.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$1.23 R$6.15

36.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$1.55 R$7.75

98.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$0.75 R$3.77

45.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$1.19 R$5.93

5.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$0.73 R$3.67

89.04%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$1.60 R$7.99

36.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$8.99 R$44.98

-51.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$3.64 R$18.23

54.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$9.51 R$47.60

-6.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$1.28 R$6.38

82.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.09 R$5.47

-2.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$0.52 R$2.59

188.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.14 R$5.69

21.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$1.15 R$5.76

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$1.07 R$5.33

8.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.73 R$3.65

21.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.56 R$2.80

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$1.98 R$9.89

15.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$8.18 R$40.92

30.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$0.71 R$3.54

69.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$1.82 R$9.13

35.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.89 R$4.43

-3.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$30.14 R$151

37.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$1.60 R$8.03

-8.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$1.01 R$5.06

94.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$5.44 R$27.20

42.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.01 R$5.07

-5.94%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$12.7K R$63.7K

42.49%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$15.5K R$77.4K

71.32%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$60.7 R$304

35.55%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$14.17 R$70.9

-32.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$20.14 R$101

20.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$19.73 R$98.7

31.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$21.46 R$107

-11.46%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$5.48 R$27.44

-28.28%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$310 R$1,549

-0.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$7,308 R$36.6K

-18.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$49.25 R$246

19.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$54.7 R$274

-40.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$54.2 R$271

89.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$54.1 R$271

100.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$283 R$1,415

68.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$214 R$1,072

76.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$501 R$2,505

67.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$394 R$1,970

83.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

34.30%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Canoas: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $283 in Canoas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $23.00 in Canoas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $162 per month, with Canoas 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 Canoas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Canoas differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $732 including rent). Canoas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,519 in Medellin and $1,099 in Canoas 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: $476 in Medellin versus $283 in Canoas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Canoas runs roughly 37% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $310 in Canoas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $732 in Canoas versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Canoas but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Canoas 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 Canoas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.