Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Thompson

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,806 in Thompson, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. The total is higher in Thompson despite lower rent and utilities.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Thompson
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Thompson Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Thompson

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Thompson

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,806 in Thompson, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Thompson $1,806

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,737 in Thompson, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Thompson $2,737

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,669 in Thompson, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Thompson $3,669

Medellin is about 9% cheaper than Thompson, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Thompson sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Thompson by 33%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$18.00 CA$25.16

-55.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.7K

$64.4 CA$90.0

-26.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.0K

$10.52 CA$14.70

-9.70%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,532

$3.72 CA$5.20

-19.09%

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

$1.80 COP 5,688

$1.97 CA$2.75

-8.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,465

$1.60 CA$2.24

-11.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$5.16 CA$7.21

-38.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$5.75 CA$8.03

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,774

$2.09 CA$2.93

-27.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,517

$2.56 CA$3.58

-7.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,601

$3.51 CA$4.91

-49.57%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,138

$3.49 CA$4.88

-17.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$10.29 CA$14.38

-0.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$11.63 CA$16.26

-15.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.2K

$14.89 CA$20.80

-6.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$3.93 CA$5.49

1.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,907

$1.37 CA$1.91

13.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,901

$3.98 CA$5.56

-45.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,904

$3.82 CA$5.34

-42.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,205

$2.35 CA$3.29

-16.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,025

$2.21 CA$3.09

-28.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,622

$2.49 CA$3.48

-53.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,930

$1.66 CA$2.32

-25.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$14.00 CA$19.56

-71.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$12.62 CA$17.64

8.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,247

$2.83 CA$3.96

-41.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,139

$3.18 CA$4.44

-28.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,692

$2.30 CA$3.22

-49.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.6K

$66.9 CA$93.5

15.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,009

$3.01 CA$4.21

-57.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,474

$1.38 CA$1.93

48.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.0K

$23.88 CA$33.37

-64.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,258

$1.10 CA$1.53

22.73%

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

$34.1K COP 107.7M

$28.2K CA$39.4K

20.81%

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

$34.7K COP 109.6M

$23.6K CA$33.0K

47.03%

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

$170 COP 536.4K

$136 CA$190

24.48%

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

$13.55 COP 42.8K

$39.10 CA$54.7

-65.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.7K

$54.9 CA$76.7

-48.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.2K

$37.46 CA$52.3

16.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.3K

$17.81 CA$24.88

-3.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$10.46 CA$14.61

-33.94%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$664 CA$927

20.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

$11.4K CA$16.0K

-20.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 267.8K

$54.4 CA$76.0

55.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.2K

$39.02 CA$54.5

48.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 426.7K

$87.4 CA$122

54.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.4K

$103 CA$144

-4.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$687 CA$960

75.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$674 CA$941

-4.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$1,109 CA$1,550

82.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$1,114 CA$1,556

-9.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

$4,361 CA$6,094

-4.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$3,358 CA$4,693

-43.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,567 CA$2,190

-58.06%

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 Thompson: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Thompson

$674 37.3% 5% $32

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Thompson

$358 19.8% 20.6% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Thompson

$230 12.8% 9% $19

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Thompson

$272 15.1% 60.2% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Thompson

$128 7.1% 24.5% $41

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Thompson

$86 4.8% 8.1% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Thompson

$58 3.2% 1.5% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $687 in Thompson. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Thompson are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $64 in Thompson. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $358 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇦 Thompson

🕒 Local time

09:10 9:10 AM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

12,829

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,162 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,528 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 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 Thompson 5,840 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Thompson

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 Thompson: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Thompson is pricier by about 10%, 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 $2,709 in Thompson. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Thompson, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $687 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $64 in Thompson. 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 $1,806 in Thompson. That makes Medellin about 9% cheaper.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,806 in Thompson, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $1,806 in Thompson. 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, Thompson makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.