Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Iqaluit, NU

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $3,164 in Iqaluit, NU, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 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
154

Cost of Living Index in Iqaluit, NU
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Iqaluit, NU Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Iqaluit, NU

🇨🇦 Canada

$3,164

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Iqaluit, NU

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $3,164 in Iqaluit, NU.

Medellin $1,639
Iqaluit, NU $3,164

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $5,007 in Iqaluit, NU.

Medellin $2,413
Iqaluit, NU $5,007

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $6,850 in Iqaluit, NU.

Medellin $3,186
Iqaluit, NU $6,850

Living in Medellin costs roughly 48% less than in Iqaluit, NU, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Iqaluit, NU 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$28.11 CA$39.27

-71.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$65.1 CA$91.0

-27.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$12.93 CA$18.07

-26.53%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$7.31 CA$10.21

-58.82%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$3.81 CA$5.32

-52.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$4.43 CA$6.20

-68.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$6.83 CA$9.54

-53.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$5.82 CA$8.13

-1.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$3.38 CA$4.73

-55.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$5.51 CA$7.69

-56.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$2.91 CA$4.07

-39.18%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$4.36 CA$6.10

-33.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$12.05 CA$16.84

-15.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$13.34 CA$18.63

-26.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$24.54 CA$34.29

-42.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.02 CA$2.82

96.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$2.95 CA$4.13

-47.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$2.03 CA$2.84

7.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$1.98 CA$2.76

10.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$3.04 CA$4.24

-35.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$3.92 CA$5.48

-59.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$3.08 CA$4.30

-62.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$3.51 CA$4.91

-64.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$14.13 CA$19.74

-71.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$5.02 CA$7.02

172.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$1.46 CA$2.04

13.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$2.11 CA$2.95

7.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$4.87 CA$6.80

-75.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$137 CA$191

-43.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$6.53 CA$9.12

-80.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$0.69 CA$0.97

197.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$1.24 CA$1.73

8.87%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$38.6K CA$54.0K

-11.77%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$31.7K CA$44.3K

9.39%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$114 CA$159

49.05%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$52.9 CA$73.9

-74.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$53.2 CA$74.4

-47.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$73.9 CA$103

-40.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$21.24 CA$29.68

-19.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$8.27 CA$11.55

-16.44%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$1,018 CA$1,423

-21.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$3,943 CA$5,509

131.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$60.2 CA$84.1

40.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$35.43 CA$49.51

63.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$100.0 CA$140

35.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$116 CA$162

-15.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,790 CA$2,501

-32.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$1,684 CA$2,353

-61.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$2,856 CA$3,991

-29.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$3,506 CA$4,898

-71.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$10.2K CA$14.2K

-59.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$7,195 CA$10.1K

-73.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$4,244 CA$5,930

-84.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.32

105.64%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Iqaluit, NU: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Iqaluit, NU

$1.7K 53.2% 162% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Iqaluit, NU

$433 13.7% 45.9% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Iqaluit, NU

$220 7% 4.1% $8.7

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Iqaluit, NU

$430 13.6% 154% $261

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Iqaluit, NU

$140 4.4% 17.1% $29

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Iqaluit, NU

$167 5.3% 78% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Iqaluit, NU

$90 2.9% 57.1% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $1,790 in Iqaluit, NU. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iqaluit, NU pays about 6.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $65 in Iqaluit, NU for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $433 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇦 Iqaluit, NU

🕒 Local time

21:30 9:30 PM

22:30 10:30 PM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

8,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Iqaluit, NU 6,420 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Iqaluit, NU

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 Iqaluit, NU: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is about 48% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 85% 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 $1,790 in Iqaluit, NU. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $1,018 in Iqaluit, NU. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Iqaluit, NU. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,639 in Medellin versus $3,164 in Iqaluit, NU, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Iqaluit, NU. 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.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Iqaluit, NU. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.