Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Smithers

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,422 in Smithers, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 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
109

Cost of Living Index in Smithers
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Smithers Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Smithers

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,422

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Smithers

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $2,422 in Smithers, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Smithers $2,422

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $3,389 in Smithers, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Smithers $3,389

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $4,356 in Smithers, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Smithers $4,356

Medellin is about 32% cheaper than Smithers, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Smithers sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Smithers by 78%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$17.95 CA$25.08

-54.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$64.4 CA$89.9

-26.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$10.66 CA$14.89

-10.88%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$3.69 CA$5.15

-18.43%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.99 CA$2.78

-9.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$1.63 CA$2.28

-13.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$5.10 CA$7.13

-37.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$5.70 CA$7.97

0.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$2.03 CA$2.84

-25.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$2.63 CA$3.67

-9.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$3.35 CA$4.68

-47.16%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$3.39 CA$4.74

-14.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$10.11 CA$14.12

0.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$11.88 CA$16.60

-16.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$14.93 CA$20.85

-6.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.74 CA$5.23

6.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.37 CA$1.91

13.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$3.68 CA$5.14

-40.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$3.72 CA$5.19

-41.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$2.35 CA$3.29

-16.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$2.19 CA$3.06

-27.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$2.39 CA$3.34

-51.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.66 CA$2.32

-25.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$16.26 CA$22.72

-75.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$12.73 CA$17.78

7.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$3.09 CA$4.32

-46.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$3.25 CA$4.54

-30.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$2.25 CA$3.15

-48.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$61.6 CA$86.1

25.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$2.67 CA$3.74

-52.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$1.64 CA$2.29

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$23.42 CA$32.72

-63.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.18 CA$1.65

14.41%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$27.8K CA$38.8K

22.62%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$23.5K CA$32.8K

47.49%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$150 CA$210

13.13%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$39.00 CA$54.5

-65.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$58.5 CA$81.8

-52.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$35.13 CA$49.09

24.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$17.93 CA$25.05

-4.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$10.65 CA$14.87

-35.12%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$629 CA$879

26.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$15.1K CA$21.1K

-39.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$56.2 CA$78.5

50.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$38.51 CA$53.8

50.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$87.9 CA$123

53.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$103 CA$144

-5.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,291 CA$1,804

-6.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$1,280 CA$1,788

-49.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,989 CA$2,779

1.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,801 CA$2,516

-43.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$4,739 CA$6,621

-12.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$3,719 CA$5,196

-48.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Smithers: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Smithers

$1.3K 52.8% 99.5% $638

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Smithers

$357 14.7% 20.1% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Smithers

$247 10.2% 17.1% $36

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Smithers

$271 11.2% 59.9% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Smithers

$129 5.3% 23.8% $40

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Smithers

$81 3.4% 12.9% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Smithers

$56 2.3% 1.9% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,291 in Smithers. 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 $64 in Smithers. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $357 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇦 Smithers

🕒 Local time

23:47 11:47 PM

21:47 9:47 PM

2 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

5,400

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 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 = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 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 Smithers 7,070 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Smithers

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 Smithers: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Smithers is pricier by about 48%, 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 $3,632 in Smithers. 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 $1,291 in Smithers. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $64 in Smithers. 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 $2,422 in Smithers. That makes Medellin about 32% cheaper.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $2,422 in Smithers. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.