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: $1,641 in Medellin versus $803 in Canoas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,212 in Canoas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,622 in Canoas.

Living in Medellin is roughly 104% more expensive than in Canoas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Canoas is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$5.83 R$29.91

37.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$19.53 R$100

147.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$6.78 R$34.76

38.94%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$1.81 R$9.29

62.43%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.05 R$5.40

77.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.43 R$2.23

239.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.18 R$6.04

172.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$1.51 R$7.74

278.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$0.86 R$4.38

67.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.28 R$6.54

87.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$0.72 R$3.70

136.11%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.09 R$10.70

38.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$9.74 R$49.94

3.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$3.87 R$19.85

157.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$9.17 R$47.00

54.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.37 R$7.03

190.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.18 R$6.04

33.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$0.56 R$2.85

283.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.27 R$6.51

81.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.18 R$6.04

69.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.04 R$5.36

45.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.84 R$4.30

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.57 R$2.92

124.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.44 R$12.53

57.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$7.79 R$39.92

79.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$0.80 R$4.11

113.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.05 R$10.50

33.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.95 R$4.87

31.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$32.53 R$167

139.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.28 R$6.57

2.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.77 R$3.93

181.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$7.82 R$40.06

6.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.16 R$5.97

17.24%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$20.4K R$104.8K

34.41%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$26.0K R$133.4K

40.40%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$71.7 R$368

135.31%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$11.92 R$61.1

13.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$21.61 R$111

31.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$26.97 R$138

69.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$27.03 R$139

-36.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$5.86 R$30.01

13.48%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$289 R$1,484

177.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$7,503 R$38.5K

22.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$50.4 R$258

73.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$57.1 R$293

3.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$58.2 R$298

138.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$58.1 R$298

75.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$306 R$1,569

249.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$236 R$1,210

176.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$535 R$2,743

259.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$427 R$2,188

145.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,635 R$8,382

152.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,123 R$5,756

51.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.5

-4.87%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Canoas: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $306 in Canoas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $20.00 in Canoas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $171 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 104% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $803 including rent). Canoas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $1,204 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $306 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 139% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $289 in Canoas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $803 in Canoas versus $1,641 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 104% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.