Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Saanich

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,592 in Saanich, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Saanich
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Saanich Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Saanich

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,592

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Saanich

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $2,592 in Saanich, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Saanich $2,592

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $3,650 in Saanich, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Saanich $3,650

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $4,707 in Saanich, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Saanich $4,707

Medellin is about 37% cheaper than Saanich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Saanich sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Saanich by 90%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$17.77 CA$24.83

-54.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$71.0 CA$99.2

-33.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$11.26 CA$15.73

-15.63%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$4.25 CA$5.93

-29.18%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$2.34 CA$3.27

-23.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$1.73 CA$2.42

-18.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$5.58 CA$7.80

-43.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$6.59 CA$9.21

-12.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.93 CA$2.70

-21.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$3.04 CA$4.25

-21.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$3.12 CA$4.36

-43.27%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$4.08 CA$5.70

-29.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$11.36 CA$15.88

-10.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$12.69 CA$17.74

-22.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$17.34 CA$24.23

-19.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$4.62 CA$6.46

-14.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$1.44 CA$2.02

7.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$4.23 CA$5.91

-48.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$5.78 CA$8.07

-62.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$3.45 CA$4.82

-43.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$2.89 CA$4.04

-44.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$3.26 CA$4.56

-64.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$2.22 CA$3.10

-44.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$14.46 CA$20.20

-72.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$15.63 CA$21.84

-12.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$2.67 CA$3.73

-37.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$3.64 CA$5.09

-37.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$2.29 CA$3.20

-48.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$80.0 CA$112

-3.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$2.83 CA$3.95

-55.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$1.57 CA$2.19

30.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$28.10 CA$39.27

-69.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$1.39 CA$1.94

-2.88%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$28.4K CA$39.7K

19.83%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$21.0K CA$29.4K

64.79%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$119 CA$166

42.66%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$41.27 CA$57.7

-67.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$66.2 CA$92.5

-57.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$69.6 CA$97.2

-37.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$11.22 CA$15.68

-38.41%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$877 CA$1,225

-9.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$13.3K CA$18.6K

-31.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$54.3 CA$75.8

56.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$35.53 CA$49.65

63.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$90.4 CA$126

49.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$107 CA$150

-8.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,470 CA$2,053

-17.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$1,347 CA$1,882

-52.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$2,039 CA$2,849

-0.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,890 CA$2,641

-46.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$3,819 CA$5,336

-49.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$2,903 CA$4,057

-77.37%

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 Saanich: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Saanich

$1.3K 52% 110% $705

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Saanich

$413 16% 39.2% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Saanich

$226 8.7% 7.1% $15

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Saanich

$284 11% 67.6% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Saanich

$129 5% 23.4% $40

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Saanich

$100 3.9% 6.7% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Saanich

$92 3.6% 60% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,470 in Saanich. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Saanich 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 $71 in Saanich. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $413 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇦 Saanich

🕒 Local time

12:00 12:00 PM

10:00 10:00 AM

2 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

117,735

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Saanich 6,490 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Saanich

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 Saanich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saanich is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $3,888 in Saanich. 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 $1,470 in Saanich.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $71 in Saanich. 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 $2,592 in Saanich. That makes Medellin about 37% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Saanich at $2,592. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saanich 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Saanich makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.