Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Medicine Hat

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,814 in Medicine Hat, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 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
88

Cost of Living Index in Medicine Hat
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Medicine Hat Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Medicine Hat

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,814

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Medicine Hat

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,814 in Medicine Hat, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Medicine Hat $1,814

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,712 in Medicine Hat, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Medicine Hat $2,712

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,611 in Medicine Hat, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Medicine Hat $3,611

Medellin is about 10% cheaper than Medicine Hat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Medicine Hat sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Medicine Hat by 33%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$15.23 CA$21.28

-46.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$69.9 CA$97.7

-32.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$9.82 CA$13.72

-3.26%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$3.76 CA$5.26

-19.95%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$2.04 CA$2.85

-11.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$1.72 CA$2.40

-18.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$5.09 CA$7.11

-37.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$3.95 CA$5.52

45.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.55 CA$2.16

-2.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$1.77 CA$2.47

34.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$3.46 CA$4.84

-48.84%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$2.98 CA$4.16

-3.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$9.44 CA$13.19

7.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$11.03 CA$15.41

-10.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$12.82 CA$17.91

9.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.17 CA$4.43

25.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.46 CA$2.04

6.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$2.86 CA$3.99

-23.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$3.72 CA$5.20

-41.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$2.71 CA$3.79

-27.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.48 CA$2.07

7.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$2.61 CA$3.65

-55.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.57 CA$2.20

-21.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$11.51 CA$16.08

-65.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$12.61 CA$17.61

8.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$2.38 CA$3.33

-30.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$3.19 CA$4.45

-29.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$2.26 CA$3.15

-48.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$50.9 CA$71.2

51.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$3.19 CA$4.46

-60.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$1.34 CA$1.87

52.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$27.41 CA$38.29

-68.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.03 CA$1.44

31.07%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$24.3K CA$34.0K

39.91%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$20.0K CA$28.0K

73.05%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$165 CA$231

2.77%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$38.32 CA$53.5

-64.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$50.6 CA$70.7

-44.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$53.8 CA$75.1

-18.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$35.27 CA$49.27

-51.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$14.39 CA$20.10

-51.98%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$541 CA$756

47.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$16.1K CA$22.5K

-43.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$50.5 CA$70.5

67.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$26.44 CA$36.94

119.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$66.2 CA$92.4

104.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$67.6 CA$94.5

44.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$901 CA$1,258

34.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$749 CA$1,046

-14.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,483 CA$2,071

36.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,198 CA$1,673

-15.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,369 CA$1,912

204.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,930 CA$2,696

-1.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$2,973 CA$4,154

-77.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.51

142.57%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medicine Hat: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Medicine Hat

$749 41.3% 16.7% $107

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Medicine Hat

$319 17.6% 7.6% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Medicine Hat

$254 14% 20.2% $43

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Medicine Hat

$245 13.5% 44.4% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Medicine Hat

$95 5.2% 43.9% $74

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Medicine Hat

$70 3.9% 25.3% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Medicine Hat

$83 4.6% 43.5% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $901 in Medicine Hat. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medicine Hat are about 4.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $70 in Medicine Hat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $319 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇦 Medicine Hat

🕒 Local time

00:26 12:26 AM

23:26 11:26 PM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

56,997

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 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 Medicine Hat 5,860 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Medicine Hat

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 Medicine Hat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medicine Hat is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,721 in Medicine Hat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medicine Hat, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $901 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $70 in Medicine Hat. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,814 in Medicine Hat. That makes Medellin about 10% cheaper.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,814 in Medicine Hat, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $1,814 in Medicine Hat. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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