Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Yellowknife

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,997 in Yellowknife, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 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
144

Cost of Living Index in Yellowknife
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Yellowknife Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Yellowknife

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,997

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Yellowknife

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $2,997 in Yellowknife, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Yellowknife $2,997

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $4,165 in Yellowknife, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Yellowknife $4,165

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $5,333 in Yellowknife, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Yellowknife $5,333

Medellin is about 45% cheaper than Yellowknife, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Yellowknife sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Yellowknife by 120%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$19.93 CA$27.85

-59.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$86.8 CA$121

-45.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$8.95 CA$12.51

6.15%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$4.32 CA$6.03

-30.32%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$2.33 CA$3.25

-22.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$2.14 CA$3.00

-34.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$6.52 CA$9.11

-51.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$7.33 CA$10.24

-21.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$2.78 CA$3.88

-45.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$2.63 CA$3.67

-9.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$4.73 CA$6.61

-62.58%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$3.17 CA$4.43

-8.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$7.09 CA$9.90

43.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$16.15 CA$22.57

-38.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$15.53 CA$21.70

-9.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$4.85 CA$6.77

-18.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$1.48 CA$2.07

4.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$5.29 CA$7.39

-58.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$7.50 CA$10.48

-70.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$4.44 CA$6.21

-55.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$3.54 CA$4.94

-55.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$3.53 CA$4.93

-67.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$1.08 CA$1.51

14.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$17.18 CA$24.00

-76.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$14.50 CA$20.27

-5.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$4.34 CA$6.07

-61.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$6.29 CA$8.79

-64.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$1.40 CA$1.96

-16.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$53.5 CA$74.7

44.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$3.19 CA$4.46

-60.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$1.47 CA$2.05

39.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$1.28 CA$1.78

5.47%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$24.3K CA$34.0K

40.11%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$20.1K CA$28.0K

72.85%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$369 CA$516

-54.04%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$59.0 CA$82.5

-77.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$102 CA$142

-72.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$73.6 CA$103

-40.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$9.93 CA$13.87

-30.41%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$594 CA$829

34.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$65.3 CA$91.2

29.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$36.14 CA$50.5

60.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$103 CA$144

31.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$119 CA$166

-17.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$1,616 CA$2,257

-25.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$1,419 CA$1,982

-54.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$2,356 CA$3,292

-13.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$2,048 CA$2,861

-50.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$3,093 CA$4,321

34.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$2,882 CA$4,028

-33.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$4,657 CA$6,507

-85.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.32

105.64%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Yellowknife: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Yellowknife

$1.4K 47.3% 121% $777

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Yellowknife

$437 14.6% 47.1% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Yellowknife

$530 17.7% 151% $319

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Yellowknife

$303 10.1% 78.8% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Yellowknife

$145 4.9% 13.9% $24

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Yellowknife

$70 2.3% 25.6% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Yellowknife

$93 3.1% 62.5% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,616 in Yellowknife. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Yellowknife are about 7.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $87 in Yellowknife. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $437 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇦 Yellowknife

🕒 Local time

19:07 7:07 PM

18:07 6:07 PM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

19,234

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 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 →

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Medellin Yellowknife 7,000 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Yellowknife

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 Yellowknife: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Yellowknife is pricier by about 83%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $4,496 in Yellowknife. 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 $1,616 in Yellowknife.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $87 in Yellowknife. 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 $2,997 in Yellowknife. That makes Medellin about 45% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Yellowknife at $2,997. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yellowknife 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 $2,997 in Yellowknife. 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, Yellowknife makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.