Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sydney, NS

For one person, living costs are similar in Medellin and in Sydney, NS: $1,625 and $1,614 a month, rent and utilities included.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sydney, NS
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Sydney, NS Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Sydney, NS

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Sydney, NS

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $1,614 in Sydney, NS, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Sydney, NS $1,614

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $2,535 in Sydney, NS, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Sydney, NS $2,535

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $3,456 in Sydney, NS, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Sydney, NS $3,456

Medellin costs about 1% more than Sydney, NS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Medellin and Sydney, NS sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Sydney, NS by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$11.13 CA$15.74

-25.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$62.3 CA$88.0

-24.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$7.16 CA$10.12

29.05%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$2.87 CA$4.06

6.27%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$2.33 CA$3.30

-22.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$2.07 CA$2.92

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$2.15 CA$3.04

-30.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$2.56 CA$3.61

-7.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$2.41 CA$3.41

-29.46%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$3.32 CA$4.69

-10.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$6.27 CA$8.87

63.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$8.23 CA$11.63

18.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$12.99 CA$18.36

7.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$7.01 CA$9.91

-41.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.16 CA$1.63

31.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.38 CA$1.95

64.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$0.84 CA$1.18

136.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.90 CA$2.68

-12.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$6.30 CA$8.90

-81.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$17.78 CA$25.14

-78.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$4.18 CA$5.92

-42.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$1.08 CA$1.53

14.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$48.48 CA$68.5

61.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$4.15 CA$5.87

-69.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.20 CA$1.70

12.50%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$25.7K CA$36.4K

35.02%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$19.1K CA$27.1K

81.13%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$86.3 CA$122

93.13%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$36.04 CA$51.0

-62.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$73.3 CA$104

-60.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$49.94 CA$70.6

-9.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$3.45 CA$4.88

397.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$7.04 CA$9.96

-0.99%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$721 CA$1,020

9.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$68.1 CA$96.3

28.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$67.2 CA$95.1

-13.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$99.7 CA$141

39.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$105 CA$148

-5.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$893 CA$1,262

15.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$724 CA$1,024

-14.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$1,753 CA$2,479

7.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$1,374 CA$1,943

-26.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$2,527 CA$3,573

-73.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.8

88.62%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sydney, NS: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Sydney, NS

$724 44.9% 16.9% $105

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Sydney, NS

$258 * 16% 13.5% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Sydney, NS

$196 12.1% 6.6% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Sydney, NS

$153 9.5% 11.4% $20

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Sydney, NS

$163 * 10.1% 4.8% $8.2

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Sydney, NS

$57 * 3.5% 40.2% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Sydney, NS

$64 4% 8.5% $5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $893 in Sydney, NS. 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 281% higher in Sydney, NS, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $62.0 in Sydney, NS. Groceries tell a different story – $298 in Medellin vs $258 in Sydney, NS – so Sydney, NS wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇦 Sydney, NS

🕒 Local time

23:57 11:57 PM

01:57 1:57 AM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

30,960

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Sydney, NS 4,670 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
Sydney, NS

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 Sydney, NS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $2,421 in Sydney, NS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sydney, NS, 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 $47.00 in Medellin and $62.0 in Sydney, NS. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $1,614 in Sydney, NS. That's a gap of about 1%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sydney, NS, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Sydney, NS it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sydney, NS – 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 Sydney, NS. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.