Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Saint Andrews

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,252 in Saint Andrews, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Saint Andrews, Canada
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Saint Andrews
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,252
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Saint Andrews

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $2,252 in Saint Andrews, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Saint Andrews $2,252

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $3,235 in Saint Andrews, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Saint Andrews $3,235

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $4,219 in Saint Andrews, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Saint Andrews $4,219

Medellin is about 25% cheaper than Saint Andrews, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Saint Andrews sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Saint Andrews by 67%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Saint Andrews
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 26.9K
$17.63 CA$24.71
-52.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.3K
$64.6 CA$90.6
-27.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.6K
$10.60 CA$14.86
-10.66%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$3.73 CA$5.23
-16.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,705
$1.98 CA$2.78
-10.61%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,601
$1.68 CA$2.36
-15.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$5.27 CA$7.39
-40.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.4K
$5.68 CA$7.97
0.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Saint Andrews
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,950
$2.11 CA$2.95
-27.49%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,401
$2.54 CA$3.56
-9.84%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,282
$3.51 CA$4.93
-44.73%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,905
$3.45 CA$4.83
-11.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.3K
$10.15 CA$14.23
-1.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.7K
$11.58 CA$16.23
-9.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.1K
$14.99 CA$21.01
-6.87%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$3.80 CA$5.33
6.58%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,937
$1.36 CA$1.91
12.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,797
$3.59 CA$5.03
-41.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,409
$3.77 CA$5.29
-39.26%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,813
$2.42 CA$3.39
-12.81%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,521
$2.19 CA$3.07
-21.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,780
$2.41 CA$3.38
-51.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,104
$1.59 CA$2.23
-0.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.6K
$14.28 CA$20.02
-72.62%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.4K
$12.92 CA$18.11
8.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,690
$2.74 CA$3.84
-35.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,760
$3.20 CA$4.48
-15.31%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Saint Andrews
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,811
$2.35 CA$3.30
-49.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 246.4K
$63.5 CA$88.9
20.24%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,836
$2.91 CA$4.07
-37.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,878
$1.49 CA$2.08
42.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.3K
$23.86 CA$33.44
-65.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,119
$1.18 CA$1.65
8.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.2M
$28.1K CA$39.4K
22.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.3M
$21.1K CA$29.5K
61.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Saint Andrews
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 574.1K
$137 CA$192
29.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 44.9K
$38.16 CA$53.5
-63.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.3K
$54.4 CA$76.3
-43.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Saint Andrews
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 135.5K
$37.52 CA$52.6
11.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.3K
$18.30 CA$25.65
-8.20%
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.1K
$10.80 CA$15.14
-30.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Saint Andrews
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.6M
$648 CA$908
21.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.7M
$13.3K CA$18.6K
-7.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Saint Andrews
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 278.9K
$55.6 CA$77.9
55.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 191.4K
$38.69 CA$54.2
53.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 446.9K
$87.6 CA$123
57.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 319.2K
$105 CA$148
-6.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Saint Andrews
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$1,289 CA$1,807
4.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$1,126 CA$1,578
-40.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$1,970 CA$2,762
0.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$1,678 CA$2,352
-38.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.2M
$4,296 CA$6,021
-4.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
$3,614 CA$5,067
-46.33%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Saint Andrews
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
4.68
133.76%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Saint Andrews: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Saint Andrews
$1.1K 68.8% $459
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Saint Andrews
$354 15.3% $47
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Saint Andrews
$230 3.3% $7.4
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Saint Andrews
$270 56.4% $97
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Saint Andrews
$129 24.9% $43
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Saint Andrews
$83 11% $10
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Saint Andrews
$59 3.9% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $1,289 in Saint Andrews. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $65 in Saint Andrews. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $354 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇨🇦 Saint Andrews
🕒 Local time
07:54 7:54 AM
08:54 8:54 AM
1 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,628 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Saint Andrews 4,390 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Saint Andrews

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 Saint Andrews: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Saint Andrews?
Yes – Saint Andrews is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $3,377 in Saint Andrews. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Medellin and Saint Andrews?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,341 in Medellin and $1,289 in Saint Andrews. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Saint Andrews?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $65 in Saint Andrews. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Saint Andrews?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $2,252 in Saint Andrews. That makes Medellin about 25% cheaper.
Is $2,500 enough for either Medellin or Saint Andrews?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,692 in Medellin and $2,252 in Saint Andrews, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Saint Andrews?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,692 in Medellin to $2,252 in Saint Andrews. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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