Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hamilton

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,589 a month against $2,237 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,237

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Hamilton

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Medellin versus $2,237 in Hamilton.

Medellin $1,589
Hamilton $2,237

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,364 in Medellin versus $3,267 in Hamilton.

Medellin $2,364
Hamilton $3,267

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,139 in Medellin versus $4,297 in Hamilton.

Medellin $3,139
Hamilton $4,297

Living in Medellin costs roughly 29% less than in Hamilton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 19% above, Hamilton 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

$17.65 CA$25.16

-54.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.3K

$60.7 CA$86.5

-23.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$11.96 CA$17.05

-21.15%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,277

$3.48 CA$4.96

-16.38%

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

$1.75 COP 5,585

$2.15 CA$3.06

-18.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,218

$1.64 CA$2.34

-19.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

$4.87 CA$6.95

-35.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

$6.13 CA$8.74

-9.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

$2.17 CA$3.09

-35.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$2.23 CA$3.17

9.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

$2.54 CA$3.62

-35.83%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

$3.20 CA$4.55

-11.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

$7.91 CA$11.27

22.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$10.76 CA$15.34

-13.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

$13.64 CA$19.44

-1.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$3.82 CA$5.45

4.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

$1.21 CA$1.73

22.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

$4.04 CA$5.76

-47.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

$3.80 CA$5.42

-40.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

$2.33 CA$3.32

-18.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

$1.58 CA$2.25

2.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

$2.17 CA$3.09

-47.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

$1.30 CA$1.85

-3.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$12.33 CA$17.58

-69.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

$13.26 CA$18.90

-1.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

$2.45 CA$3.49

-34.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

$3.37 CA$4.81

-32.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

$2.49 CA$3.55

-53.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

$85.6 CA$122

-12.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,056

$3.40 CA$4.85

-62.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,531

$1.23 CA$1.75

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

$23.37 CA$33.32

-64.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,046

$1.19 CA$1.70

6.72%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

$27.5K CA$39.2K

-2.73%

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

$34.4K COP 109.6M

$19.9K CA$28.3K

73.03%

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

$162 COP 516.9K

$149 CA$212

8.83%

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

$41.14 CA$58.7

-68.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

$49.32 CA$70.3

-43.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.2K

$37.18 CA$53.0

19.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.0K

$17.33 CA$24.71

-5.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$10.19 CA$14.52

-40.24%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$597 CA$852

27.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

$16.2K CA$23.1K

-45.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

$48.29 CA$68.8

75.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

$30.75 CA$43.83

86.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

$86.2 CA$123

52.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

$115 CA$163

-16.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$1,263 CA$1,801

-18.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$1,135 CA$1,617

-46.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

$2,006 CA$2,859

-10.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$1,869 CA$2,664

-46.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

$2,659 CA$3,790

47.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

$2,694 CA$3,840

-39.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$2,896 CA$4,128

-78.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.6

137.83%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Hamilton

$1.1K 50.2% 87.7% $530

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Hamilton

$327 14.5% 13.3% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Hamilton

$240 10.6% 17.7% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Hamilton

$126 5.6% 24.4% $41

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Hamilton

$271 12% 62.7% $104

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Hamilton

$105 4.7% 15.2% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Hamilton

$58 2.6% 1.9% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $1,263 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 362% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Medellin vs $61.0 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $327 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🕒 Local time

03:30 3:30 AM

04:30 4:30 AM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

519,949

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,574 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Hamilton 4,130 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Hamilton

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 Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 362% lower in Hamilton. 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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,263 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $764 in Medellin versus $597 in Hamilton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,589 in Medellin versus $2,237 in Hamilton, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hamilton, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.