Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,064 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Montreal

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $2,064 in Montreal, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Montreal $2,064

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $3,156 in Montreal, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Montreal $3,156

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $4,247 in Montreal, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Montreal $4,247

Medellin is about 21% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Montreal sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Montreal by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$18.98 CA$26.55

-57.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$73.0 CA$102

-35.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$10.88 CA$15.22

-12.68%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$3.81 CA$5.34

-21.00%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$1.94 CA$2.71

-7.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$1.58 CA$2.21

-10.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$6.37 CA$8.91

-50.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$7.26 CA$10.16

-20.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$2.23 CA$3.11

-32.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$3.17 CA$4.44

-24.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$3.31 CA$4.63

-46.53%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$3.63 CA$5.08

-20.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$13.16 CA$18.40

-22.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$11.56 CA$16.17

-14.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

$13.71 CA$19.18

2.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$3.29 CA$4.60

20.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$1.46 CA$2.04

6.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

$3.37 CA$4.71

-35.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$3.15 CA$4.40

-30.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$1.89 CA$2.64

3.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

$1.79 CA$2.51

-11.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

$2.47 CA$3.46

-53.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$1.58 CA$2.21

-21.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$11.28 CA$15.78

-64.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$10.49 CA$14.68

30.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

$2.34 CA$3.27

-29.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

$2.91 CA$4.07

-22.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

$2.61 CA$3.65

-55.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

$79.1 CA$111

-2.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

$3.26 CA$4.56

-61.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

$1.44 CA$2.01

42.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

$33.43 CA$46.76

-74.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$1.33 CA$1.86

1.50%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

$28.6K CA$40.0K

18.98%

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

$21.1K CA$29.5K

64.32%

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

$170 COP 536.8K

$80.1 CA$112

111.90%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$34.30 CA$47.98

-60.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$42.85 CA$59.9

-34.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$31.14 CA$43.56

40.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

$19.41 CA$27.14

-11.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$11.23 CA$15.71

-38.47%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$525 CA$734

51.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

$16.3K CA$22.8K

-44.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

$58.0 CA$81.1

46.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

$38.11 CA$53.3

52.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

$93.4 CA$131

44.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

$110 CA$154

-11.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$1,285 CA$1,797

-6.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$977 CA$1,366

-34.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$2,271 CA$3,176

-10.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$1,665 CA$2,329

-39.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

$5,139 CA$7,188

-18.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$3,834 CA$5,363

-50.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$3,002 CA$4,199

-78.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.48

144.20%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Montreal

$977 47.3% 52.2% $335

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Montreal

$351 17% 18.2% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Montreal

$157 7.6% 25.6% $54

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Montreal

$291 14.1% 71.4% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Montreal

$135 6.5% 20.2% $34

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Montreal

$100 4.9% 6.9% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Montreal

$54 2.6% 6.8% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,285 in Montreal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Montreal are about 4.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $73 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $351 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

08:05 8:05 AM

09:05 9:05 AM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,531 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 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 = 0.641 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Montreal 4,370 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Montreal

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 Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montreal is pricier by about 26%, 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 $3,096 in Montreal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,208 in Medellin and $1,285 in Montreal. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $73 in Montreal. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Montreal, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $2,064 in Montreal, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,639 versus $2,064 in Montreal. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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