Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sarnia

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,014 in Sarnia, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 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
96

Cost of Living Index in Sarnia
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Sarnia Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Sarnia

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,014

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Sarnia

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $2,014 in Sarnia, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Sarnia $2,014

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,778 in Sarnia, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Sarnia $2,778

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,543 in Sarnia, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Sarnia $3,543

Medellin is about 19% cheaper than Sarnia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Sarnia sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Sarnia by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$13.71 CA$19.24

-40.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$46.44 CA$65.2

1.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$10.86 CA$15.23

-12.52%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$3.12 CA$4.38

-3.53%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$1.93 CA$2.71

-6.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$1.22 CA$1.72

15.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$4.20 CA$5.90

-24.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$5.54 CA$7.78

3.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.27 CA$1.78

18.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$2.45 CA$3.44

-2.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$2.37 CA$3.32

-25.32%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$2.96 CA$4.15

-2.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$11.52 CA$16.16

-11.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$11.48 CA$16.11

-14.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$14.18 CA$19.90

-1.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$3.39 CA$4.76

17.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.25 CA$1.75

24.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$3.38 CA$4.74

-35.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$3.52 CA$4.94

-38.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.34 CA$1.88

46.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.86 CA$2.60

-14.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$1.68 CA$2.36

-31.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$1.28 CA$1.80

-3.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$12.56 CA$17.63

-68.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$10.01 CA$14.04

36.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$2.53 CA$3.56

-34.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$2.83 CA$3.97

-20.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$2.37 CA$3.33

-50.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$62.1 CA$87.2

24.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$2.57 CA$3.60

-50.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$1.76 CA$2.47

16.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$28.33 CA$39.75

-69.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.23 CA$1.73

9.76%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$26.2K CA$36.7K

30.16%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$21.0K CA$29.4K

65.46%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$145 CA$204

16.73%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$28.26 CA$39.66

-52.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$43.79 CA$61.5

-35.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$20.85 CA$29.26

109.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$17.89 CA$25.11

-3.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$10.91 CA$15.30

-36.66%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$354 CA$496

125.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$16.2K CA$22.8K

-43.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$59.7 CA$83.8

41.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$33.28 CA$46.71

74.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$76.9 CA$108

75.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$77.3 CA$108

26.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$1,236 CA$1,735

-2.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$1,018 CA$1,429

-36.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$2,001 CA$2,809

1.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$1,365 CA$1,916

-25.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$3,074 CA$4,314

-78.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.22

109.58%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sarnia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Sarnia

$1K 50.6% 58.7% $377

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Sarnia

$317 15.7% 6.6% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Sarnia

$217 10.8% 2.9% $6.1

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Sarnia

$224 11.2% 32.3% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Sarnia

$111 5.5% 34.2% $58

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Sarnia

$83 4.1% 11.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Sarnia

$43 2.1% 25.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,236 in Sarnia. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sarnia are about 4.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $46 in Sarnia. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $317 in Sarnia – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇦 Sarnia

🕒 Local time

14:02 2:02 PM

15:02 3:02 PM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

71,594

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Sarnia 4,140 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Sarnia

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 Sarnia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sarnia is pricier by about 23%, 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 $3,020 in Sarnia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,208 in Medellin and $1,236 in Sarnia. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 20% less in Sarnia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Sarnia, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $2,014 in Sarnia, 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 $2,014 in Sarnia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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