Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and New Westminster

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,536 in New Westminster, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 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
123

Cost of Living Index in New Westminster
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New Westminster Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

New Westminster

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,536

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in New Westminster

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $2,536 in New Westminster, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
New Westminster $2,536

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $3,772 in New Westminster, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
New Westminster $3,772

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $5,008 in New Westminster, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
New Westminster $5,008

Medellin is about 35% cheaper than New Westminster, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and New Westminster sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, New Westminster by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$19.53 CA$27.29

-58.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$49.69 CA$69.4

-5.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$10.26 CA$14.33

-7.41%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$3.55 CA$4.96

-15.21%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$1.88 CA$2.63

-4.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$1.65 CA$2.31

-14.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$6.14 CA$8.58

-48.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$5.56 CA$7.77

3.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.79 CA$2.50

-15.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$2.37 CA$3.32

0.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$3.49 CA$4.88

-49.28%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$3.23 CA$4.51

-10.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$10.95 CA$15.30

-6.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$15.61 CA$21.81

-36.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$27.23 CA$38.05

-48.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.91 CA$5.46

1.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$1.48 CA$2.07

4.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$3.78 CA$5.29

-42.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$3.71 CA$5.18

-41.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$2.46 CA$3.44

-20.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$2.20 CA$3.07

-27.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$2.29 CA$3.20

-49.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$1.85 CA$2.59

-32.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$15.50 CA$21.65

-74.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$10.88 CA$15.21

25.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$2.04 CA$2.85

-18.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$2.81 CA$3.93

-19.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$2.46 CA$3.44

-52.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$91.0 CA$127

-15.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$2.17 CA$3.04

-41.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$1.81 CA$2.52

13.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$22.72 CA$31.75

-62.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$1.32 CA$1.84

2.27%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$24.4K CA$34.1K

39.77%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$20.9K CA$29.2K

65.66%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$141 CA$196

20.67%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$43.47 CA$60.7

-68.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$65.0 CA$90.9

-56.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$33.49 CA$46.80

30.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$17.69 CA$24.72

-2.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$11.52 CA$16.09

-40.02%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$794 CA$1,109

0.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$8,694 CA$12.1K

4.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$52.4 CA$73.2

61.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$41.09 CA$57.4

41.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$80.0 CA$112

68.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$98.8 CA$138

-0.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,624 CA$2,269

-25.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$1,306 CA$1,824

-50.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$2,668 CA$3,729

-24.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$2,310 CA$3,228

-56.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$4,751 CA$6,639

-12.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$4,037 CA$5,641

-52.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$3,171 CA$4,431

-79.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.72

131.78%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for New Westminster: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

New Westminster

$1.3K 51.5% 104% $664

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

New Westminster

$404 15.9% 36% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

New Westminster

$249 9.8% 17.9% $38

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

New Westminster

$286 11.3% 68.4% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

New Westminster

$122 4.8% 27.5% $46

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

New Westminster

$112 4.4% 19.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

New Westminster

$57 2.2% 1.8% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,624 in New Westminster. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in New Westminster are about 4.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $50 in New Westminster. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $404 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇦 New Westminster

🕒 Local time

10:04 10:04 AM

08:04 8:04 AM

2 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

58,000

💱 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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Between locations

Medellin New Westminster 6,500 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
New Westminster

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 New Westminster: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New Westminster is pricier by about 55%, 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 $3,803 in New Westminster. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,624 in New Westminster.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $50 in New Westminster. 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 $2,536 in New Westminster. That makes Medellin about 35% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in New Westminster at $2,536. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in New Westminster it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $2,536 in New Westminster. 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, New Westminster makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.