Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Quesnel

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,330 in Quesnel, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 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
113

Cost of Living Index in Quesnel
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Quesnel Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Quesnel

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,330

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Quesnel

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $2,330 in Quesnel, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Quesnel $2,330

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $3,279 in Quesnel, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Quesnel $3,279

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $4,227 in Quesnel, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Quesnel $4,227

Medellin is about 31% cheaper than Quesnel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Quesnel sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Quesnel by 73%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$16.27 CA$23.00

-51.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$44.91 CA$63.5

2.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$10.90 CA$15.41

-12.84%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$4.02 CA$5.69

-22.64%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$2.38 CA$3.36

-23.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$1.99 CA$2.81

-30.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$4.50 CA$6.37

-32.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$5.74 CA$8.12

-4.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$2.27 CA$3.21

-36.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$2.45 CA$3.46

-3.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$3.95 CA$5.59

-57.47%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$4.66 CA$6.59

-38.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$11.82 CA$16.72

-13.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$16.49 CA$23.31

-42.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$16.55 CA$23.40

-15.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$4.05 CA$5.72

0.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.29 CA$1.82

16.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$4.36 CA$6.17

-50.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$4.27 CA$6.03

-45.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$3.04 CA$4.30

-36.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$3.64 CA$5.15

-54.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.46 CA$3.48

-54.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.72 CA$2.43

-27.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$11.87 CA$16.78

-66.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$10.46 CA$14.79

27.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$2.55 CA$3.60

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$3.24 CA$4.58

-26.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$2.22 CA$3.14

-45.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$55.6 CA$78.7

37.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$2.49 CA$3.53

-46.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$2.15 CA$3.03

-0.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$41.45 CA$58.6

-79.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.24 CA$1.76

4.84%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$28.6K CA$40.4K

-2.12%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$22.1K CA$31.2K

60.23%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$172 CA$243

-0.02%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$38.46 CA$54.4

-65.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$69.1 CA$97.7

-58.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$40.54 CA$57.3

11.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$18.31 CA$25.89

-6.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$7.26 CA$10.26

-13.50%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$736 CA$1,041

4.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$12.4K CA$17.5K

-27.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$36.45 CA$51.5

137.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$45.75 CA$64.7

24.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$76.6 CA$108

78.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$107 CA$151

-8.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$771 CA$1,089

36.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$1,133 CA$1,601

-45.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$1,910 CA$2,701

-0.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$1,664 CA$2,353

-38.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$3,754 CA$5,306

8.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$3,780 CA$5,344

-55.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$2,424 CA$3,427

-73.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.35

104.49%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Quesnel: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Quesnel

$1.1K 48.6% 83.9% $517

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Quesnel

$403 17.3% 36.8% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Quesnel

$280 12% 30.6% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Quesnel

$120 5.1% 29.7% $51

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Quesnel

$263 11.3% 55.9% $94

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Quesnel

$78 3.3% 16.7% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Quesnel

$55 2.4% 4.8% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $771 in Quesnel. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 272% higher in Quesnel, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $45.00 in Quesnel. Groceries tell a different story – $295 in Medellin vs $403 in Quesnel – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇦 Quesnel

🕒 Local time

13:41 1:41 PM

11:41 11:41 AM

2 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

10,007

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Quesnel 6,700 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Quesnel

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 Quesnel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Quesnel is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $3,495 in Quesnel. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $45.00 in Quesnel. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $2,330 in Quesnel. That's a gap of about 44%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Quesnel at $2,330. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Quesnel it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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