Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cold Lake

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $1,912 in Cold Lake, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Cold Lake
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Cold Lake Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Cold Lake

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,912

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Cold Lake

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Cold Lake actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,912 in Cold Lake, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Cold Lake $1,912

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $2,791 in Cold Lake, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Cold Lake $2,791

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $3,670 in Cold Lake, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Cold Lake $3,670

Medellin is about 16% cheaper than Cold Lake, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Cold Lake sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Cold Lake by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$19.96 CA$28.21

-60.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$57.5 CA$81.2

-19.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$9.67 CA$13.68

-1.76%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$3.82 CA$5.40

-18.59%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$2.26 CA$3.19

-19.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$1.42 CA$2.01

-2.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$5.57 CA$7.87

-45.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$6.14 CA$8.68

-10.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.16 CA$1.64

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$2.18 CA$3.09

8.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$2.87 CA$4.06

-41.46%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$3.07 CA$4.35

-6.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$10.61 CA$14.99

-3.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$11.16 CA$15.77

-14.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$18.77 CA$26.53

-25.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$3.50 CA$4.94

16.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.16 CA$1.64

29.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$2.81 CA$3.97

-22.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$2.48 CA$3.50

-6.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$2.15 CA$3.04

-10.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.06 CA$1.50

54.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.33 CA$3.30

-51.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.75 CA$2.48

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$11.94 CA$16.88

-66.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$11.41 CA$16.14

17.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$3.57 CA$5.05

-52.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.85 CA$4.03

-16.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$2.92 CA$4.13

-54.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$1.38 CA$1.95

55.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$20.67 CA$29.22

-59.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.03 CA$1.45

26.21%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$28.3K CA$40.0K

-0.96%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$19.4K CA$27.4K

82.70%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$225 CA$318

-23.52%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$43.04 CA$60.8

-68.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$54.3 CA$76.7

-47.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$12.61 CA$17.82

-50.20%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$761 CA$1,075

1.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$9,434 CA$13.3K

-4.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$28.35 CA$40.08

204.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$35.05 CA$49.55

63.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$51.5 CA$72.8

165.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$85.9 CA$121

14.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$860 CA$1,216

22.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$840 CA$1,188

-26.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$1,544 CA$2,183

22.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$1,397 CA$1,975

-26.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$3,084 CA$4,359

-78.84%

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: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cold Lake: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Cold Lake

$840 44% 36.5% $225

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Cold Lake

$335 17.5% 13.5% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Cold Lake

$322 16.9% 50.5% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Cold Lake

$90 4.7% 46.9% $80

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Cold Lake

$289 15.1% 71.9% $121

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Cold Lake

$9.8 * 0.5% 89.5% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Cold Lake

$25 * 1.3% 56.4% $33

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $860 in Cold Lake. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 373% higher in Cold Lake, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $57.0 in Cold Lake. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $335 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇦 Cold Lake

🕒 Local time

13:47 1:47 PM

12:47 12:47 PM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

11,595

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Cold Lake 6,190 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Cold Lake

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Cold Lake: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cold Lake is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $2,868 in Cold Lake. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $1,912 in Cold Lake. That's a gap of about 18%.

Kindergarten costs $770 per month in Medellin and $761 in Cold Lake. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Cold Lake at $1,912. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cold Lake it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cold Lake makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.