Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Quebec City

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,935 in Quebec City, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Quebec City
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Quebec City Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Quebec City

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Quebec City

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,935 in Quebec City, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Quebec City $1,935

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,912 in Quebec City, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Quebec City $2,912

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,889 in Quebec City, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Quebec City $3,889

Medellin is about 15% cheaper than Quebec City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Quebec City sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Quebec City by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$21.22 CA$29.66

-61.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$63.9 CA$89.3

-26.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$10.75 CA$15.03

-11.63%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$3.83 CA$5.35

-21.41%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$2.13 CA$2.97

-15.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$1.50 CA$2.09

-6.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$5.68 CA$7.94

-44.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$5.88 CA$8.21

-2.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$2.06 CA$2.88

-26.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$2.89 CA$4.04

-17.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$4.14 CA$5.79

-57.25%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$3.15 CA$4.40

-8.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$9.13 CA$12.76

11.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$10.99 CA$15.35

-10.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$10.62 CA$14.85

31.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$4.17 CA$5.82

-4.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$1.55 CA$2.17

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$3.71 CA$5.19

-41.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$4.04 CA$5.64

-46.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$2.93 CA$4.10

-33.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$2.86 CA$3.99

-44.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$2.73 CA$3.81

-57.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.52 CA$2.12

-18.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$14.78 CA$20.66

-73.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$11.35 CA$15.87

20.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$3.24 CA$4.53

-48.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$3.44 CA$4.81

-34.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$2.91 CA$4.06

-59.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$70.6 CA$98.7

9.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$2.89 CA$4.04

-56.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$1.48 CA$2.07

38.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$35.46 CA$49.56

-75.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$1.30 CA$1.81

3.85%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$28.7K CA$40.1K

18.66%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$22.2K CA$31.0K

56.38%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$100 CA$140

69.33%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$32.19 CA$44.99

-57.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$45.61 CA$63.7

-38.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$33.12 CA$46.29

31.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$12.66 CA$17.69

35.78%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$10.56 CA$14.76

-34.56%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$676 CA$945

17.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$9,492 CA$13.3K

-4.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$59.3 CA$82.9

42.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$50.9 CA$71.2

13.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$89.8 CA$126

50.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$109 CA$152

-9.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,029 CA$1,438

17.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$821 CA$1,147

-21.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,633 CA$2,282

24.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,333 CA$1,863

-24.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$4,733 CA$6,615

-11.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$2,728 CA$3,813

-29.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$2,906 CA$4,062

-77.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.44

146.40%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Quebec City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Quebec City

$821 42.4% 27.9% $179

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Quebec City

$347 18% 17% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Quebec City

$178 9.2% 15.8% $33

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Quebec City

$303 15.6% 78.4% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Quebec City

$139 7.2% 17.8% $30

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Quebec City

$93 4.8% 1.1% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Quebec City

$54 2.8% 5.7% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,029 in Quebec City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Quebec City are about 4.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $64 in Quebec City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $347 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇦 Quebec City

🕒 Local time

09:07 9:07 AM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

530,168

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 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 Quebec City 4,530 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Quebec City

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 Quebec City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Quebec City is pricier by about 18%, 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 $2,902 in Quebec City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quebec City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,029 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $64 in Quebec City. 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 $1,935 in Quebec City. That makes Medellin about 15% cheaper.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,935 in Quebec City, 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 $1,935 in Quebec City. 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, Quebec City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.