Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Duncan BC

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,161 in Duncan BC, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Duncan BC
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Duncan BC Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Duncan BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,161

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Duncan BC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $2,161 in Duncan BC.

Medellin $1,692
Duncan BC $2,161

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $3,358 in Duncan BC.

Medellin $2,471
Duncan BC $3,358

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $4,555 in Duncan BC.

Medellin $3,249
Duncan BC $4,555

Living in Medellin costs roughly 22% less than in Duncan BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 25% above, Duncan BC 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$17.85 CA$24.91

-53.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.2K

$70.8 CA$98.7

-34.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$10.56 CA$14.73

-10.32%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$3.95 CA$5.51

-20.76%

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

$1.77 COP 5,702

$2.15 CA$3.00

-17.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,599

$1.70 CA$2.38

-16.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$5.49 CA$7.66

-42.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$5.78 CA$8.07

-1.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,948

$1.64 CA$2.29

-6.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$2.65 CA$3.69

-13.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,279

$4.40 CA$6.13

-55.91%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,900

$4.08 CA$5.70

-24.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

$11.96 CA$16.69

-16.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$13.19 CA$18.40

-20.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

$14.02 CA$19.57

-0.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$3.91 CA$5.45

3.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,934

$1.39 CA$1.93

10.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,794

$3.67 CA$5.12

-42.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,405

$3.98 CA$5.56

-42.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,810

$2.77 CA$3.87

-23.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,518

$2.95 CA$4.11

-42.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,778

$2.54 CA$3.54

-53.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,101

$1.57 CA$2.20

0.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$13.72 CA$19.14

-71.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$11.71 CA$16.33

19.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,688

$2.54 CA$3.54

-30.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,756

$2.84 CA$3.96

-4.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,809

$1.83 CA$2.56

-35.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.3K

$39.92 CA$55.7

91.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,833

$2.62 CA$3.65

-30.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,874

$1.63 CA$2.27

30.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

$30.31 CA$42.30

-73.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,117

$1.23 CA$1.71

4.07%

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

$26.4K CA$36.8K

30.55%

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

$34.1K COP 110.2M

$21.2K CA$29.6K

61.06%

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

$178 COP 573.8K

$87.4 CA$122

103.28%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$35.93 CA$50.1

-61.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.2K

$51.5 CA$71.8

-40.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.4K

$61.3 CA$85.5

-31.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$12.53 CA$17.49

-40.38%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$1,082 CA$1,510

-27.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$18.6K CA$25.9K

-33.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.7K

$57.7 CA$80.4

49.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.3K

$33.54 CA$46.80

76.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.6K

$91.6 CA$128

51.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.0K

$92.0 CA$128

7.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$1,321 CA$1,843

1.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$1,074 CA$1,498

-37.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$2,553 CA$3,562

-22.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$2,019 CA$2,817

-48.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$4,345 CA$6,062

-5.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$3,638 CA$5,076

-46.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$3,096 CA$4,319

-79.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.24

158.02%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Duncan BC: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Duncan BC

$1.1K 49.7% 60.9% $407

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Duncan BC

$368 17% 19.8% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Duncan BC

$175 8.1% 21.4% $48

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Duncan BC

$276 12.8% 60.1% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Duncan BC

$124 5.7% 28.2% $49

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Duncan BC

$58 2.7% 37.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Duncan BC

$86 4% 51.8% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,341 in Medellin and $1,321 in Duncan BC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Duncan BC pays about 4.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $71 in Duncan BC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $368 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇦 Duncan BC

🕒 Local time

13:42 1:42 PM

11:42 11:42 AM

2 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

22,199

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1 CAD = 0.717 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,615 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.717 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Duncan BC 6,530 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Duncan BC

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 Duncan BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is about 22% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 79% lower in Medellin. 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: $1,341 in Medellin versus $1,321 in Duncan BC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Duncan BC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47 versus $71 in Duncan BC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Medellin gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Medellin wins on affordability, Duncan BC on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.