Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gatineau

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,023 in Gatineau, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 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
99

Cost of Living Index in Gatineau
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Gatineau Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Gatineau

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,023

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Gatineau

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $2,023 in Gatineau, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Gatineau $2,023

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $3,045 in Gatineau, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Gatineau $3,045

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $4,068 in Gatineau, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Gatineau $4,068

Medellin is about 20% cheaper than Gatineau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Gatineau sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Gatineau by 50%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$12.84 CA$18.15

-38.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$83.7 CA$118

-44.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$10.40 CA$14.70

-8.65%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$3.05 CA$4.32

1.97%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$1.39 CA$1.97

31.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$1.30 CA$1.84

6.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$4.17 CA$5.90

-26.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$6.39 CA$9.03

-13.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.86 CA$2.63

-22.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$2.84 CA$4.02

-16.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$5.20 CA$7.35

-67.69%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$3.30 CA$4.66

-13.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$11.73 CA$16.59

-13.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$9.60 CA$13.57

-0.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$10.73 CA$15.17

30.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$3.97 CA$5.61

2.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.86 CA$2.63

-19.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$4.60 CA$6.50

-52.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$4.48 CA$6.34

-48.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$2.15 CA$3.04

-10.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$2.41 CA$3.41

-31.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.12 CA$2.99

-46.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$2.58 CA$3.65

-51.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$11.86 CA$16.77

-66.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$12.29 CA$17.38

8.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$2.85 CA$4.03

-40.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$3.30 CA$4.67

-28.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$3.21 CA$4.54

-62.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$79.3 CA$112

-3.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$4.77 CA$6.75

-72.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$2.34 CA$3.31

-8.55%

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

$1.20 CA$1.70

8.33%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$27.5K CA$38.9K

1.62%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$18.4K CA$26.1K

91.97%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$110 CA$156

55.98%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$35.67 CA$50.4

-62.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$46.70 CA$66.0

-38.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$45.79 CA$64.7

-1.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$29.56 CA$41.80

-42.35%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$10.59 CA$14.96

-40.70%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$539 CA$762

42.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$130.7K CA$184.7K

-93.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$69.0 CA$97.5

25.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$42.41 CA$60.0

34.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$84.7 CA$120

61.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$117 CA$166

-16.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$1,069 CA$1,512

-1.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$934 CA$1,321

-34.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$1,800 CA$2,545

5.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$1,469 CA$2,077

-30.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$5,154 CA$7,286

-21.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$6,067 CA$8,577

-72.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$2,590 CA$3,661

-74.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.64

135.78%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Gatineau: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Gatineau

$934 46.2% 51.7% $319

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Gatineau

$364 18% 23.7% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Gatineau

$193 9.5% 10% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Gatineau

$141 7% 17.1% $29

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Gatineau

$215 10.6% 27.7% $47

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Gatineau

$109 5.4% 16.4% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Gatineau

$67 3.3% 15.8% $9.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $1,069 in Gatineau. 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 297% higher in Gatineau, 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 $84.0 in Gatineau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $364 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇦 Gatineau

🕒 Local time

14:35 2:35 PM

15:35 3:35 PM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

291,041

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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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Between locations

Medellin Gatineau 4,350 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Gatineau

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 Gatineau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gatineau costs about 25% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $3,034 in Gatineau. 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 $2,023 in Gatineau. That's a gap of about 25%.

Public transport costs about 4% 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 Gatineau at $2,023. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gatineau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,614 versus $2,023 in Gatineau. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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