Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Scarborough, Canada

Name: Scarborough
Address: Scarborough, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,561 in Scarborough, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 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
122

Cost of Living Index in Scarborough
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Scarborough Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Scarborough

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Scarborough

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $2,561 in Scarborough, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Scarborough $2,561

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $3,474 in Scarborough, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Scarborough $3,474

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $4,388 in Scarborough, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Scarborough $4,388

Medellin is about 36% cheaper than Scarborough, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Scarborough sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Scarborough by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$17.32 CA$24.21

-53.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$70.3 CA$98.3

-33.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$10.89 CA$15.22

-12.76%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$3.99 CA$5.57

-24.56%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$2.03 CA$2.84

-11.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$1.47 CA$2.05

-4.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$6.55 CA$9.15

-51.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$7.29 CA$10.18

-21.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$2.51 CA$3.51

-39.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$2.63 CA$3.68

-9.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$2.28 CA$3.19

-22.37%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$3.64 CA$5.09

-20.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$9.14 CA$12.78

11.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$11.44 CA$15.99

-13.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$12.96 CA$18.12

7.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.43 CA$4.79

15.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$1.21 CA$1.69

28.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$3.34 CA$4.67

-34.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$4.17 CA$5.82

-47.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$1.69 CA$2.37

15.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$1.68 CA$2.35

-5.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$2.20 CA$3.08

-47.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.26 CA$1.76

-1.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$14.00 CA$19.56

-71.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$12.58 CA$17.59

8.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$2.19 CA$3.06

-24.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$2.55 CA$3.57

-11.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$2.40 CA$3.35

-51.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$105 CA$147

-26.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$3.06 CA$4.28

-58.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$1.28 CA$1.79

60.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$22.52 CA$31.47

-62.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$1.25 CA$1.75

8.00%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$26.1K CA$36.5K

30.30%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$21.7K CA$30.4K

59.60%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$137 CA$192

23.52%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$35.21 CA$49.21

-61.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$48.56 CA$67.9

-42.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$35.87 CA$50.1

21.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$35.96 CA$50.3

-52.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$12.95 CA$18.11

-46.64%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$749 CA$1,047

6.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$10.8K CA$15.1K

-15.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$53.4 CA$74.7

58.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$40.94 CA$57.2

41.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$85.1 CA$119

58.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$105 CA$147

-6.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,744 CA$2,438

-30.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$1,415 CA$1,978

-54.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$2,122 CA$2,966

-4.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,758 CA$2,457

-42.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$7,770 CA$10.9K

-46.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$6,085 CA$8,504

-68.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$2,980 CA$4,164

-77.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.55

140.44%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Scarborough: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Scarborough

$1.4K 55.3% 121% $773

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Scarborough

$331 12.9% 11.4% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Scarborough

$221 8.6% 4.7% $9.8

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Scarborough

$280 11% 65.3% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Scarborough

$128 5% 24.3% $41

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Scarborough

$124 4.8% 32.5% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Scarborough

$62 2.4% 7.4% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,744 in Scarborough. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Scarborough are about 4.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $70 in Scarborough. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $331 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇦 Scarborough

🕒 Local time

10:59 10:59 AM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

29,960

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 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 = 0.715 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 Scarborough 4,190 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Scarborough

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 Scarborough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Scarborough is pricier by about 56%, 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 $3,841 in Scarborough. 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 $1,744 in Scarborough.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $70 in Scarborough. 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 $2,561 in Scarborough. That makes Medellin about 36% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Scarborough at $2,561. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Scarborough it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $2,561 in Scarborough. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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