Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sault Ste. Marie

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,051 in Sault Ste. Marie, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Sault Ste. Marie, Canada
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Sault Ste. Marie
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,051
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Sault Ste. Marie

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 Sault Ste. Marie actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $2,051 in Sault Ste. Marie, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Sault Ste. Marie $2,051

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,970 in Sault Ste. Marie, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Sault Ste. Marie $2,970

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,890 in Sault Ste. Marie, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Sault Ste. Marie $3,890

Medellin is about 20% cheaper than Sault Ste. Marie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Sault Ste. Marie sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Sault Ste. Marie by 51%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Sault Ste. Marie
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$17.15 CA$23.98
-52.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$71.3 CA$99.6
-33.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$10.12 CA$14.15
-6.13%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,734
$3.50 CA$4.89
-14.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$1.63 CA$2.28
10.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,560
$1.37 CA$1.92
2.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
$4.76 CA$6.65
-33.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$5.11 CA$7.15
12.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Sault Ste. Marie
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,875
$2.49 CA$3.48
-39.36%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,677
$2.04 CA$2.85
16.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,719
$3.25 CA$4.54
-45.54%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,332
$2.90 CA$4.06
-0.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$8.60 CA$12.01
18.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$9.74 CA$13.62
1.33%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
$10.42 CA$14.56
34.26%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$3.08 CA$4.31
28.90%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,011
$1.01 CA$1.41
53.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,047
$3.04 CA$4.25
-28.29%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,050
$3.38 CA$4.72
-35.50%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,336
$1.98 CA$2.77
-1.01%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,131
$1.71 CA$2.39
-7.02%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,698
$2.79 CA$3.91
-58.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$1.25 CA$1.75
-0.80%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$15.68 CA$21.92
-74.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$10.57 CA$14.77
29.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,359
$1.85 CA$2.59
-10.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,290
$2.37 CA$3.31
-4.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Sault Ste. Marie
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,770
$2.52 CA$3.52
-53.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.8K
$57.4 CA$80.3
34.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,094
$3.48 CA$4.87
-63.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,611
$2.40 CA$3.35
-14.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$23.76 CA$33.21
-64.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,348
$1.14 CA$1.59
18.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.0M
$26.6K CA$37.1K
28.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$20.0K CA$28.0K
73.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Sault Ste. Marie
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.7K
$177 CA$247
-4.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.7K
$44.21 CA$61.8
-69.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$79.2 CA$111
-64.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Sault Ste. Marie
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.1K
$30.85 CA$43.11
41.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
$17.68 CA$24.72
-2.77%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$11.37 CA$15.90
-39.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Sault Ste. Marie
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$4,943 CA$6,908
84.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Sault Ste. Marie
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$45.82 CA$64.0
84.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.1K
$35.41 CA$49.49
63.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.7K
$74.3 CA$104
81.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$117 CA$164
-16.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Sault Ste. Marie
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$1,055 CA$1,474
14.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$939 CA$1,312
-31.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$1,574 CA$2,200
28.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$1,423 CA$1,989
-28.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
$3,358 CA$4,693
24.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$3,434 CA$4,799
-44.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Sault Ste. Marie
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$3,022 CA$4,224
-78.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
5.53
97.83%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sault Ste. Marie: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Sault Ste. Marie
$939 46.4% $297
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Sault Ste. Marie
$297 0% $0.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Sault Ste. Marie
$300 42.1% $89
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Sault Ste. Marie
$256 50.7% $86
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Sault Ste. Marie
$123 27.4% $46
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Sault Ste. Marie
$83 11.3% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Sault Ste. Marie
$54 6.8% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,055 in Sault Ste. Marie. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sault Ste. Marie are about 4.6 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 Sault Ste. Marie. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇨🇦 Sault Ste. Marie
🕒 Local time
21:09 9:09 PM
21:09 9:09 PM
Same time as Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
73,368
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,619 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.638 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Sault Ste. Marie 4,550 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Sault Ste. Marie

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 Sault Ste. Marie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Sault Ste. Marie?
Yes – Sault Ste. Marie is pricier by about 25%, 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 $2,459 per month in Medellin and $3,076 in Sault Ste. Marie. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sault Ste. Marie, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,055 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 26% less in Sault Ste. Marie. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Sault Ste. Marie?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $71 in Sault Ste. Marie. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $2,500 enough for either Medellin or Sault Ste. Marie?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $2,051 in Sault Ste. Marie, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Sault Ste. Marie?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $2,051 in Sault Ste. Marie. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sault Ste. Marie makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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