Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cochrane Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cochrane

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $1,092 in Cochrane.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $2,461 in Cochrane.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $3,831 in Cochrane.

Living in Medellin is roughly 57% more expensive than in Cochrane, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Cochrane is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$18.30 CA$25.32

-56.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$72.4 CA$100

-33.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$10.00 CA$13.84

-2.30%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$3.83 CA$5.30

-24.02%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$2.29 CA$3.16

-15.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$1.74 CA$2.40

-12.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$5.69 CA$7.87

-45.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$5.67 CA$7.85

1.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.61 CA$2.23

-15.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$2.15 CA$2.98

11.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$2.95 CA$4.08

-42.37%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$3.18 CA$4.41

-9.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$8.80 CA$12.18

12.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$8.60 CA$11.89

25.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$8.86 CA$12.26

66.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$4.41 CA$6.10

-7.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$1.35 CA$1.87

16.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$4.46 CA$6.17

-52.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$1.47 CA$2.03

50.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$1.46 CA$2.02

40.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$1.91 CA$2.64

-21.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$2.50 CA$3.45

-52.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$1.91 CA$2.64

-39.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$14.38 CA$19.90

-72.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$8.62 CA$11.92

67.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$3.23 CA$4.47

-51.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$2.88 CA$3.99

-1.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$3.66 CA$5.07

-68.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$2.88 CA$3.99

-55.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$1.37 CA$1.90

52.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$21.58 CA$29.87

-60.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.04 CA$1.44

25.00%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$28.2K CA$39.0K

-1.98%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$19.8K CA$27.4K

79.31%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$213 CA$295

-17.30%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$41.63 CA$57.6

-67.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$55.8 CA$77.2

-46.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$46.16 CA$63.9

-3.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$13.37 CA$18.51

-53.63%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$792 CA$1,096

0.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$9,939 CA$13.8K

-9.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$46.07 CA$63.8

85.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$47.71 CA$66.0

22.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$84.4 CA$117

61.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$96.6 CA$134

6.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$1,251 CA$1,731

-15.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$1,796 CA$2,485

12.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$1,393 CA$1,927

-16.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$23.5K CA$32.5K

-82.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$4,179 CA$5,782

-84.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.32

153.24%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Cochrane: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $1,251 in Cochrane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cochrane pays 528% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $72.0 in Cochrane. Groceries flip the comparison at $303 vs $294, with Cochrane cheaper for home cooking.

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 Cochrane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cochrane wins on cost – living expenses run 57% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cochrane the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 528% lower in Cochrane. 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $1,251 in Cochrane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,716 per month in Medellin versus $1,092 in Cochrane – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,092 in Cochrane versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cochrane but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cochrane the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cochrane delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,092 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cochrane hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Cochrane gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.