Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Squamish, BC

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,634 in Squamish, BC, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 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
127

Cost of Living Index in Squamish, BC
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Squamish, BC Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Squamish, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,634

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Squamish, BC

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $2,634 in Squamish, BC, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Squamish, BC $2,634

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $3,904 in Squamish, BC, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Squamish, BC $3,904

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $5,175 in Squamish, BC, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Squamish, BC $5,175

Medellin is about 39% cheaper than Squamish, BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Squamish, BC sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Squamish, BC by 95%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$16.19 CA$23.02

-51.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.7K

$48.77 CA$69.3

-5.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.2K

$10.01 CA$14.23

-5.09%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,897

$3.94 CA$5.60

-21.07%

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

$1.83 COP 5,818

$1.79 CA$2.54

2.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,374

$1.47 CA$2.09

-6.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,702

$5.57 CA$7.92

-45.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.5K

$5.63 CA$8.00

-2.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,614

$1.76 CA$2.50

-17.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,519

$2.10 CA$2.99

12.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,345

$3.46 CA$4.92

-51.45%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,106

$3.08 CA$4.39

-7.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.4K

$12.38 CA$17.60

-17.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.3K

$14.93 CA$21.23

-36.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.7K

$19.16 CA$27.24

-26.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$5.31 CA$7.55

-23.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,757

$1.16 CA$1.65

29.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,913

$4.90 CA$6.97

-55.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,333

$3.47 CA$4.93

-33.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,132

$4.16 CA$5.91

-53.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,212

$2.47 CA$3.51

-33.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,582

$2.46 CA$3.49

-54.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,966

$1.86 CA$2.65

-32.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.7K

$14.86 CA$21.12

-73.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.5K

$10.58 CA$15.04

26.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,400

$2.83 CA$4.03

-39.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,549

$3.52 CA$5.01

-32.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,839

$1.43 CA$2.03

-15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 243.3K

$29.87 CA$42.46

156.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,193

$3.60 CA$5.12

-63.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,795

$1.38 CA$1.96

55.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.9K

$24.89 CA$35.38

-65.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,127

$1.13 CA$1.61

15.04%

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

$28.0K COP 89.0M

$26.2K CA$37.2K

7.01%

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

$35.4K COP 112.6M

$18.6K CA$26.4K

90.47%

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

$172 COP 547.3K

$116 CA$166

47.77%

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

$13.37 COP 42.5K

$42.93 CA$61.0

-68.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.4K

$62.6 CA$89.0

-54.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.9K

$51.0 CA$72.6

-11.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.2K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 20.0K

$11.42 CA$16.24

-45.01%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$1,084 CA$1,541

-28.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.7M

$8,273 CA$11.8K

8.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.8K

$51.5 CA$73.2

67.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.7K

$40.42 CA$57.5

41.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 434.3K

$79.3 CA$113

72.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 311.4K

$94.9 CA$135

3.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.4M

$1,565 CA$2,225

-32.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$1,517 CA$2,157

-59.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$3,188 CA$4,532

-40.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.3M

$2,719 CA$3,865

-62.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$5,931 CA$8,433

-31.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$3,077 CA$4,376

-78.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.72

131.78%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Squamish, BC: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Squamish, BC

$1.5K 57.6% 146% $901

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Squamish, BC

$396 15.1% 34.5% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Squamish, BC

$222 8.4% 3.6% $7.8

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Squamish, BC

$120 4.5% 29.6% $50

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Squamish, BC

$259 9.8% 53.8% $91

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Squamish, BC

$46 1.8% 50.6% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Squamish, BC

$74 2.8% 27.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $1,565 in Squamish, BC. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 372% higher in Squamish, BC, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $49.00 in Squamish, BC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $396 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇦 Squamish, BC

🕒 Local time

17:27 5:27 PM

15:27 3:27 PM

2 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

19,512

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,561 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Squamish, BC 6,540 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Squamish, BC

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 Squamish, BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Squamish, BC is pricier by about 63%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $3,951 in Squamish, BC. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $49.00 in Squamish, BC. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $2,634 in Squamish, BC. That's a gap of about 63%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Squamish, BC at $2,634. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Squamish, BC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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