Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and North Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,792 in North Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in North Vancouver
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North Vancouver Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

North Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,792

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in North Vancouver

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $2,792 in North Vancouver, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
North Vancouver $2,792

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $4,190 in North Vancouver, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
North Vancouver $4,190

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $5,588 in North Vancouver, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
North Vancouver $5,588

Medellin is about 39% cheaper than North Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and North Vancouver sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, North Vancouver by 107%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$21.53 CA$30.18

-61.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.3K

$64.6 CA$90.5

-27.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$9.20 CA$12.89

2.93%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$4.34 CA$6.08

-27.88%

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

$1.77 COP 5,705

$2.26 CA$3.16

-21.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,601

$1.72 CA$2.41

-17.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$4.94 CA$6.92

-36.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$6.22 CA$8.72

-8.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,950

$2.00 CA$2.81

-23.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,401

$2.89 CA$4.06

-20.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,282

$3.39 CA$4.75

-42.77%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,905

$3.14 CA$4.40

-2.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

$13.91 CA$19.49

-28.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$14.01 CA$19.64

-25.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

$15.65 CA$21.93

-10.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$4.17 CA$5.84

-2.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,937

$1.42 CA$1.99

7.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,797

$4.38 CA$6.14

-52.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,409

$4.18 CA$5.86

-45.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,813

$2.91 CA$4.09

-27.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,521

$2.84 CA$3.98

-39.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,780

$2.80 CA$3.93

-58.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,104

$2.12 CA$2.98

-25.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$14.32 CA$20.07

-72.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.4K

$14.15 CA$19.83

-0.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,690

$2.15 CA$3.01

-18.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,760

$2.80 CA$3.92

-3.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,811

$2.57 CA$3.61

-54.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.4K

$102 CA$143

-25.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,836

$2.70 CA$3.79

-32.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,878

$1.52 CA$2.13

40.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

$27.60 CA$38.69

-70.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,119

$1.28 CA$1.80

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

$28.0K CA$39.3K

22.81%

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

$34.1K COP 110.3M

$20.8K CA$29.1K

64.24%

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

$178 COP 574.1K

$128 CA$180

38.59%

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

$13.89 COP 44.9K

$37.76 CA$52.9

-63.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.3K

$48.56 CA$68.1

-36.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.5K

$27.51 CA$38.57

52.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.3K

$24.73 CA$34.67

-32.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$12.29 CA$17.23

-39.22%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$1,049 CA$1,470

-24.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$13.0K CA$18.2K

-5.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.9K

$65.1 CA$91.2

32.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.4K

$38.80 CA$54.4

52.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.9K

$82.3 CA$115

68.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.2K

$111 CA$155

-10.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$1,976 CA$2,770

-32.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$1,567 CA$2,196

-57.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$3,383 CA$4,742

-41.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$2,800 CA$3,925

-63.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$8,282 CA$11.6K

-50.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$5,889 CA$8,255

-67.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$3,142 CA$4,405

-79.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.69

133.26%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for North Vancouver: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

North Vancouver

$1.6K 56.1% 135% $900

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

North Vancouver

$397 14.2% 29.3% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

North Vancouver

$215 7.7% 3.5% $7.8

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

North Vancouver

$305 10.9% 76.7% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

North Vancouver

$134 4.8% 22.5% $39

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

North Vancouver

$123 4.4% 31.4% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

North Vancouver

$52 1.9% 8.4% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $1,976 in North Vancouver. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in North Vancouver are about 4.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $65 in North Vancouver. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $397 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇦 North Vancouver

🕒 Local time

23:41 11:41 PM

21:41 9:41 PM

2 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

48,200

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,626 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin North Vancouver 6,520 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
North Vancouver

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 North Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – North Vancouver is pricier by about 65%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $4,188 in North Vancouver. 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 $1,341 there versus $1,976 in North Vancouver.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $65 in North Vancouver. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $2,792 in North Vancouver. That makes Medellin about 39% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,692, than in North Vancouver at $2,792. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in North Vancouver it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,692 versus $2,792 in North Vancouver. 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, North Vancouver makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.