Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Guelph

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,693 in Guelph, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Guelph
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Guelph Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Guelph

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,693

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Guelph

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $2,693 in Guelph.

Medellin $1,639
Guelph $2,693

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $3,753 in Guelph.

Medellin $2,413
Guelph $3,753

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $4,814 in Guelph.

Medellin $3,186
Guelph $4,814

Living in Medellin costs roughly 39% less than in Guelph, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Guelph 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$21.26 CA$29.73

-61.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$70.7 CA$98.9

-33.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$11.61 CA$16.24

-18.17%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$3.49 CA$4.88

-13.75%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$1.44 CA$2.01

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$1.31 CA$1.83

7.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$5.10 CA$7.14

-37.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$5.85 CA$8.18

-1.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$2.16 CA$3.02

-30.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$2.78 CA$3.89

-14.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$3.78 CA$5.29

-53.17%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$3.06 CA$4.28

-5.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$10.04 CA$14.05

1.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$16.01 CA$22.39

-38.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

$22.09 CA$30.90

-36.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$3.54 CA$4.95

12.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$1.32 CA$1.84

17.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

$4.34 CA$6.08

-49.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$4.74 CA$6.63

-54.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$3.48 CA$4.87

-43.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

$2.34 CA$3.27

-32.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

$3.02 CA$4.22

-61.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$1.48 CA$2.07

-16.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$10.86 CA$15.18

-63.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$10.94 CA$15.30

25.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

$3.50 CA$4.90

-52.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

$3.11 CA$4.35

-27.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

$2.28 CA$3.20

-48.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

$65.9 CA$92.2

17.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

$2.34 CA$3.27

-45.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

$1.83 CA$2.57

12.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

$23.94 CA$33.48

-64.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$1.17 CA$1.64

15.38%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

$28.4K CA$39.7K

20.06%

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

$22.9K CA$32.0K

51.68%

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

$170 COP 536.8K

$122 CA$171

39.05%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$42.99 CA$60.1

-68.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$56.3 CA$78.7

-50.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$47.50 CA$66.4

-8.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

$14.55 CA$20.36

18.14%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$10.55 CA$14.76

-34.50%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$832 CA$1,163

-4.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

$17.2K CA$24.0K

-46.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

$62.9 CA$88.0

34.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

$36.51 CA$51.1

58.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

$84.9 CA$119

58.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

$124 CA$174

-21.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$1,515 CA$2,119

-20.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$1,472 CA$2,059

-56.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$2,164 CA$3,027

-6.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$2,008 CA$2,808

-49.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

$4,967 CA$6,947

-16.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$4,356 CA$6,093

-56.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$3,053 CA$4,270

-78.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.99

119.24%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Guelph: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Guelph

$1.5K 54.7% 129% $830

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Guelph

$410 15.2% 38.2% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Guelph

$221 8.2% 4.7% $10

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Guelph

$295 11% 73.9% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Guelph

$139 5.2% 17.8% $30

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Guelph

$87 3.2% 7.5% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Guelph

$69 2.6% 19.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $1,515 in Guelph. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guelph pays about 4.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $71 in Guelph for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $410 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇦 Guelph

🕒 Local time

01:51 1:51 AM

02:51 2:51 AM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

131,794

💱 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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Between locations

Medellin Guelph 4,170 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Guelph

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 Guelph: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is about 39% 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 78% 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,515 in Guelph. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Guelph. 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 Guelph. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,639 in Medellin versus $2,693 in Guelph, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Guelph. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Guelph on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.