Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Fort McMurray

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,242 in Fort McMurray, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 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 Fort McMurray
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Fort McMurray Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Fort McMurray

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,242

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Fort McMurray

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $2,242 in Fort McMurray, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Fort McMurray $2,242

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $3,323 in Fort McMurray, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Fort McMurray $3,323

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $4,404 in Fort McMurray, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Fort McMurray $4,404

Medellin is about 28% cheaper than Fort McMurray, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Fort McMurray sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Fort McMurray by 66%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$20.90 CA$29.54

-62.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$55.8 CA$78.9

-17.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$13.79 CA$19.50

-31.11%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$3.88 CA$5.49

-19.85%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$2.37 CA$3.35

-22.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$1.52 CA$2.14

-9.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$5.73 CA$8.10

-46.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$5.33 CA$7.53

3.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.41 CA$2.00

2.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$2.70 CA$3.82

-12.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$3.02 CA$4.27

-44.37%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$2.98 CA$4.21

-4.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$13.00 CA$18.38

-21.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$13.01 CA$18.39

-26.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$19.80 CA$27.99

-29.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$4.44 CA$6.28

-8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.26 CA$1.78

19.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$5.19 CA$7.33

-58.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$6.60 CA$9.34

-65.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$3.66 CA$5.17

-47.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$3.95 CA$5.58

-58.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.99 CA$4.22

-62.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.36 CA$1.93

-8.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$15.66 CA$22.13

-74.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$14.09 CA$19.92

-5.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$4.24 CA$5.99

-59.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$3.49 CA$4.93

-32.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$1.38 CA$1.94

-12.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$49.42 CA$69.9

54.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$3.57 CA$5.05

-63.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$1.11 CA$1.57

92.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$32.27 CA$45.62

-73.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.06 CA$1.50

22.64%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$27.3K CA$38.6K

2.57%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$21.2K CA$29.9K

67.42%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$190 CA$269

-9.63%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$48.41 CA$68.4

-72.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$61.1 CA$86.4

-52.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$43.19 CA$61.1

4.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$8.77 CA$12.40

94.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$12.46 CA$17.62

-49.60%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$559 CA$790

37.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$66.3 CA$93.8

30.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$35.33 CA$49.95

61.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$77.3 CA$109

76.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$85.2 CA$120

14.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$906 CA$1,281

16.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$965 CA$1,364

-36.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$1,591 CA$2,250

18.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$1,656 CA$2,340

-38.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$2,598 CA$3,673

56.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$1,865 CA$2,636

-10.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$3,042 CA$4,300

-78.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.77

129.35%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Fort McMurray: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Fort McMurray

$965 43% 56.7% $349

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Fort McMurray

$416 18.6% 41.1% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Fort McMurray

$300 13.4% 40% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Fort McMurray

$119 5.3% 30.1% $51

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Fort McMurray

$310 13.8% 84.1% $142

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Fort McMurray

$64 2.9% 31.4% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Fort McMurray

$68 3% 17.8% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $906 in Fort McMurray. 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 366% higher in Fort McMurray, 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 $56.0 in Fort McMurray. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $416 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇦 Fort McMurray

🕒 Local time

14:25 2:25 PM

13:25 1:25 PM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

66,573

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Fort McMurray 6,420 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Fort McMurray

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 Fort McMurray: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,614 in Medellin, $2,242 in Fort McMurray – roughly 39% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $3,362 in Fort McMurray. 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 $2,242 in Fort McMurray. That's a gap of about 39%.

Public transport costs about 55% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Fort McMurray at $2,242. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fort McMurray it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,614 in Medellin to $2,242 in Fort McMurray. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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