Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Estevan

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,230 in Estevan, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,625
/mo nomad
Estevan
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,230
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Estevan

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $2,230 in Estevan, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,625
  • Estevan $2,230

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $3,133 in Estevan, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,412
  • Estevan $3,133

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $4,037 in Estevan, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,199
  • Estevan $4,037

Medellin is about 27% cheaper than Estevan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Estevan sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Estevan by 65%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Estevan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.30 COP 26.3K
$21.21 CA$29.99
-60.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.91 COP 148.7K
$66.3 CA$93.8
-29.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.24 COP 29.3K
$5.54 CA$7.83
66.79%
Cappuccino
$3.05 COP 9,676
$2.16 CA$3.06
41.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,707
$2.25 CA$3.18
-20.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,382
$1.78 CA$2.52
-22.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 COP 10.3K
$6.76 CA$9.55
-52.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.56 COP 17.6K
$5.88 CA$8.31
-5.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Estevan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 COP 4,760
$0.97 CA$1.37
54.64%
White Bread (500g)
$2.37 COP 7,508
$1.16 CA$1.64
104.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.70 COP 5,377
$3.10 CA$4.38
-45.16%
Eggs
$2.96 COP 9,379
$1.94 CA$2.75
52.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.22 COP 32.4K
$13.71 CA$19.38
-25.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.74 COP 30.9K
$6.36 CA$8.99
53.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.90 COP 44.1K
$16.11 CA$22.77
-13.72%
Apples (1kg)
$4.13 COP 13.1K
$4.18 CA$5.90
-1.20%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,839
$1.19 CA$1.68
28.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.22 COP 7,052
$3.93 CA$5.56
-43.51%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.27 COP 7,194
$3.57 CA$5.05
-36.41%
Potato (1kg)
$1.99 COP 6,311
$2.29 CA$3.23
-13.10%
Onion (1kg)
$1.67 COP 5,285
$2.37 CA$3.35
-29.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 COP 3,742
$1.40 CA$1.98
-15.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,919
$0.41 CA$0.57
202.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.87 COP 12.3K
$14.50 CA$20.50
-73.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.78 COP 43.7K
$13.39 CA$18.93
2.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,256
$3.46 CA$4.90
-52.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 COP 7,615
$3.30 CA$4.67
-27.27%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Estevan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.24 COP 3,944
$2.00 CA$2.83
-38.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$78.2 COP 248.0K
$61.5 CA$87.0
27.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 COP 4,044
$3.70 CA$5.22
-65.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.15 COP 6,803
$0.80 CA$1.13
168.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.37 COP 26.5K
$21.13 CA$29.87
-60.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,288
$1.14 CA$1.61
18.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.8K COP 110.2M
$28.0K CA$39.5K
24.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 110.0M
$21.6K CA$30.5K
60.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Estevan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 COP 528.4K
$127 CA$179
31.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.62 COP 43.2K
$51.7 CA$73.0
-73.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.12 COP 92.3K
$56.3 CA$79.6
-48.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Estevan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.09 COP 143.0K
$40.96 CA$57.9
10.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.18 COP 54.5K
$19.95 CA$28.21
-13.88%
Cinema Ticket
$6.97 COP 22.1K
$10.44 CA$14.76
-33.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Estevan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.5M
$466 CA$659
69.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,041 COP 28.7M
$10.7K CA$15.1K
-15.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Estevan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.8 COP 278.4K
$52.0 CA$73.5
68.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.2 COP 184.4K
$37.50 CA$53.0
55.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$139 COP 440.7K
$94.2 CA$133
47.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.9 COP 313.5K
$108 CA$153
-8.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Estevan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,028 COP 3.3M
$1,242 CA$1,756
-17.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$620 COP 2.0M
$1,154 CA$1,631
-46.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,881 COP 6.0M
$1,881 CA$2,659
-0.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,008 COP 3.2M
$1,584 CA$2,240
-36.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,988 COP 12.6M
$4,391 CA$6,208
-9.18%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,702 COP 5.4M
$3,310 CA$4,680
-48.59%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Estevan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$663 COP 2.1M
$4,314 CA$6,099
-84.62%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
4.58
138.86%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Estevan: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$619
Estevan
$1.2K 86.2% $534
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$298
Estevan
$297 0.3% $0.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$209
Estevan
$235 12% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$173
Estevan
$131 23.9% $41
Eating Out
Medellin
$171
Estevan
$274 60.4% $103
Getting Around
Medellin
$95
Estevan
$77 18.9% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$59
Estevan
$62 4.8% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,242 in Estevan. 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 550% higher in Estevan, 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $66.0 in Estevan. Groceries tell a different story – $298 in Medellin vs $297 in Estevan – so Estevan wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇨🇦 Estevan
🕒 Local time
10:01 10:01 AM
09:01 9:01 AM
1 h behind Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
11,054
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Estevan 5,420 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Estevan

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 Estevan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Medellin and in Estevan compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,625 in Medellin, $2,230 in Estevan – roughly 37% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Medellin compared to Estevan?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $3,344 in Estevan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Medellin and Estevan?
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.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Medellin and Estevan?
Kindergarten costs $790 per month in Medellin and $466 in Estevan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Estevan – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Estevan at $2,230. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Estevan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Medellin and Estevan?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,625 in Medellin to $2,230 in Estevan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Medellin and Estevan?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Estevan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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