Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dawson City

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,906 in Dawson City, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Dawson City
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Dawson City Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Dawson City

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Dawson City

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,906 in Dawson City, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Dawson City $1,906

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $3,291 in Dawson City, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Dawson City $3,291

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $4,677 in Dawson City, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Dawson City $4,677

Medellin is about 14% cheaper than Dawson City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Dawson City sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Dawson City by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$25.11 CA$35.12

-67.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$102 CA$143

-53.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$10.59 CA$14.82

-10.29%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$3.84 CA$5.37

-21.61%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$1.74 CA$2.43

3.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$1.69 CA$2.37

-16.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$5.07 CA$7.10

-37.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$5.68 CA$7.95

1.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$2.63 CA$3.68

-42.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$4.12 CA$5.76

-42.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$4.92 CA$6.87

-64.02%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$5.10 CA$7.13

-43.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$10.27 CA$14.36

-0.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$14.47 CA$20.24

-31.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

$14.45 CA$20.21

-3.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$4.08 CA$5.71

-2.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$1.43 CA$2.00

8.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

$4.16 CA$5.82

-47.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$4.13 CA$5.77

-47.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$2.34 CA$3.27

-16.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

$2.20 CA$3.08

-27.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

$2.50 CA$3.50

-54.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$1.65 CA$2.31

-24.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$14.02 CA$19.61

-71.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$12.81 CA$17.92

6.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

$2.35 CA$3.28

-29.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

$3.28 CA$4.59

-31.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

$2.17 CA$3.04

-46.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

$57.6 CA$80.6

34.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

$2.90 CA$4.06

-56.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

$1.43 CA$2.00

43.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

$21.86 CA$30.57

-60.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$1.22 CA$1.70

10.66%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

$27.1K CA$37.9K

25.65%

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

$18.7K CA$26.2K

85.19%

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

$170 COP 536.8K

$137 CA$192

23.58%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$39.51 CA$55.3

-65.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$55.1 CA$77.1

-49.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$38.34 CA$53.6

13.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

$20.44 CA$28.59

-15.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$11.14 CA$15.58

-37.97%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$639 CA$894

24.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

$14.2K CA$19.8K

-35.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

$64.2 CA$89.8

32.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

$38.97 CA$54.5

48.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

$66.9 CA$93.5

101.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

$105 CA$146

-6.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$1,281 CA$1,791

-5.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$679 CA$950

-5.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$2,030 CA$2,839

-0.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$1,709 CA$2,390

-40.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

$4,203 CA$5,878

-0.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$3,257 CA$4,555

-41.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$2,937 CA$4,108

-77.63%

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 Dawson City: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Dawson City

$679 35.6% 5.9% $38

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Dawson City

$406 21.3% 36.6% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Dawson City

$232 12.2% 9.8% $21

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Dawson City

$329 17.3% 94.1% $160

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Dawson City

$124 6.5% 26.8% $45

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Dawson City

$76 4% 18.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Dawson City

$61 3.2% 5.4% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,281 in Dawson City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Dawson City are about 4.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $102 in Dawson City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $406 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇦 Dawson City

🕒 Local time

23:04 11:04 PM

21:04 9:04 PM

2 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,375

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.642 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 = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.642 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Dawson City 8,130 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Dawson City

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 Dawson City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Dawson City is pricier by about 16%, 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 $2,859 in Dawson City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,208 in Medellin and $1,281 in Dawson City. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $639 in Dawson City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% more in Dawson City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,906 in Dawson City, 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 $1,906 in Dawson City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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