Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Saguenay

For one person, living is cheaper in Saguenay: $1,427 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Saguenay
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Saguenay Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Saguenay

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,427

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Saguenay

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,427 in Saguenay, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Saguenay $1,427

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,280 in Saguenay, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Saguenay $2,280

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,132 in Saguenay, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Saguenay $3,132

Medellin costs about 15% more than Saguenay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Medellin and Saguenay sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Saguenay by 5%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$15.39 CA$21.50

-47.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$43.46 CA$60.7

8.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$10.53 CA$14.72

-9.78%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$3.84 CA$5.36

-21.61%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.53 CA$2.14

17.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$1.23 CA$1.71

14.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$5.45 CA$7.61

-41.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$5.30 CA$7.40

8.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$2.14 CA$2.99

-29.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$2.88 CA$4.02

-17.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$4.29 CA$6.00

-58.74%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$2.79 CA$3.90

3.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$8.63 CA$12.06

18.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$7.17 CA$10.02

37.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$10.63 CA$14.85

31.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$4.09 CA$5.72

-2.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.41 CA$1.97

9.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$3.87 CA$5.41

-43.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$4.14 CA$5.79

-47.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$2.91 CA$4.06

-32.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$2.80 CA$3.92

-43.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$2.45 CA$3.43

-53.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.76 CA$1.06

63.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$12.22 CA$17.08

-67.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$11.61 CA$16.22

17.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$3.20 CA$4.46

-48.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$3.40 CA$4.74

-33.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$2.61 CA$3.64

-55.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$56.5 CA$79.0

36.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$2.95 CA$4.12

-56.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$1.43 CA$2.00

43.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$28.38 CA$39.65

-69.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.21 CA$1.69

11.57%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$27.8K CA$38.9K

22.36%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$19.6K CA$27.4K

76.76%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$64.4 CA$90.0

163.35%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$32.29 CA$45.11

-58.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$45.01 CA$62.9

-37.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$25.03 CA$34.96

74.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$19.54 CA$27.30

-12.03%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$9.52 CA$13.31

-27.42%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$702 CA$981

13.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$9,123 CA$12.7K

-0.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$56.2 CA$78.6

50.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$36.19 CA$50.6

60.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$83.9 CA$117

60.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$108 CA$150

-9.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$618 CA$864

95.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$470 CA$657

36.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,190 CA$1,663

70.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$970 CA$1,355

4.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$5,670 CA$7,921

-26.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$3,522 CA$4,921

-45.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$2,554 CA$3,567

-74.27%

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 Saguenay: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Saguenay

$470 33% 26.7% $171

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Saguenay

$317 22.2% 6.6% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Saguenay

$142 9.9% 32.9% $70

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Saguenay

$250 17.5% 47.2% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Saguenay

$128 9% 24.4% $41

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Saguenay

$77 5.4% 17.6% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Saguenay

$44 3.1% 23.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $618 in Saguenay. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Saguenay are about 3.9 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $43 in Saguenay. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $317 in Saguenay – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇦 Saguenay

🕒 Local time

05:08 5:08 AM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

144,723

💱 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 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 = 0.716 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 Saguenay 4,700 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Saguenay

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 Saguenay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,140 in Saguenay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saguenay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $618 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $43 in Saguenay. 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 $1,427 in Saguenay. That makes Saguenay about 13% cheaper.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,427 in Saguenay, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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