Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Creston

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,156 in Creston, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 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
109

Cost of Living Index in Creston
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Creston Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Creston

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,156

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Creston

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 Creston actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $2,156 in Creston, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Creston $2,156

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $3,178 in Creston, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Creston $3,178

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $4,200 in Creston, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Creston $4,200

Medellin is about 24% cheaper than Creston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Creston sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Creston by 58%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$17.53 CA$24.49

-53.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.7K

$63.8 CA$89.1

-26.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.0K

$9.79 CA$13.68

-2.96%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,532

$4.17 CA$5.82

-27.82%

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

$1.80 COP 5,688

$2.07 CA$2.90

-13.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,465

$1.41 CA$1.97

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$5.24 CA$7.32

-39.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$5.44 CA$7.60

5.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,774

$2.14 CA$2.99

-29.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,517

$2.79 CA$3.90

-14.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,601

$3.80 CA$5.31

-53.42%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,138

$4.44 CA$6.20

-34.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$10.29 CA$14.39

-0.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$12.05 CA$16.84

-18.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.2K

$14.85 CA$20.76

-5.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$3.78 CA$5.28

5.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,907

$1.36 CA$1.91

13.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,901

$3.40 CA$4.75

-35.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,904

$3.28 CA$4.59

-33.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,205

$2.23 CA$3.12

-12.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,025

$2.22 CA$3.10

-28.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,622

$2.74 CA$3.82

-58.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,930

$1.77 CA$2.47

-29.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$13.96 CA$19.51

-71.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$11.59 CA$16.19

18.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,247

$2.95 CA$4.13

-43.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,139

$3.16 CA$4.41

-28.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,692

$2.64 CA$3.70

-55.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.6K

$54.2 CA$75.8

42.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,009

$2.97 CA$4.15

-57.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,474

$1.48 CA$2.06

38.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.0K

$23.87 CA$33.36

-64.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,258

$1.17 CA$1.64

15.38%

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

$34.1K COP 107.7M

$30.1K CA$42.0K

13.33%

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

$34.7K COP 109.6M

$21.0K CA$29.3K

65.36%

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

$170 COP 536.4K

$135 CA$188

25.89%

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

$13.55 COP 42.8K

$39.04 CA$54.6

-65.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.7K

$54.5 CA$76.1

-48.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.2K

$41.90 CA$58.6

4.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.3K

$16.08 CA$22.47

6.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$10.66 CA$14.90

-35.18%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$696 CA$973

14.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

$13.7K CA$19.1K

-33.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 267.8K

$55.9 CA$78.2

51.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.2K

$33.78 CA$47.20

71.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 426.7K

$92.8 CA$130

45.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.4K

$99.8 CA$139

-1.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$1,440 CA$2,012

-16.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$1,029 CA$1,438

-37.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$1,949 CA$2,724

4.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$1,656 CA$2,314

-38.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

$4,461 CA$6,234

-6.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$3,715 CA$5,192

-48.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.68

133.76%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Creston: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Creston

$1K 47.7% 60.4% $387

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Creston

$363 16.8% 22.1% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Creston

$228 10.6% 8% $17

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Creston

$271 12.6% 59.5% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Creston

$127 5.9% 24.8% $42

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Creston

$75 3.5% 19.7% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Creston

$63 2.9% 9.9% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,440 in Creston. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $64 in Creston. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $363 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇦 Creston

🕒 Local time

10:13 10:13 AM

08:13 8:13 AM

2 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

5,583

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,162 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,528 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Creston 6,110 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Creston

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 Creston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Creston is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $3,234 in Creston. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,440 in Creston.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $2,156 in Creston. That makes Medellin about 24% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Creston. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $2,156 in Creston, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $2,156 in Creston. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.