Cost of Living Comparison Between Medicine Hat and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Medicine Hat and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,891 per month in Medicine Hat vs $1,031 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,809 per month in Medicine Hat vs $1,599 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,726 per month in Medicine Hat vs $2,167 in Medellin, rent included.

Medicine Hat costs about 84% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Medicine Hat sits 42% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.31 CA$21.55

$6.16 COP 20.1K

148.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 CA$97.4

$32.60 COP 106.1K

112.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.28 CA$11.65

$7.34 COP 23.9K

12.81%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.47

$1.72 COP 5,599

126.16%

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

$1.97 CA$2.77

$1.05 COP 3,420

87.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 CA$2.44

$0.77 COP 2,515

124.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.20 CA$7.32

$1.69 COP 5,487

207.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 CA$5.44

$3.17 COP 10.3K

22.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 CA$2.11

$1.05 COP 3,423

42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 CA$2.66

$1.30 COP 4,236

45.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 CA$4.70

$1.40 COP 4,544

138.57%

Eggs

$3.29 CA$4.63

$2.16 COP 7,046

52.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.20 CA$11.54

$4.39 COP 14.3K

86.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.14 CA$15.68

$5.88 COP 19.1K

89.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.52 CA$19.02

$8.64 COP 28.1K

56.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.26

$2.28 COP 7,425

64.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 CA$1.84

$1.11 COP 3,603

18.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 CA$3.48

$1.53 COP 4,982

61.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 CA$4.64

$1.35 COP 4,410

144.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.03

$1.13 COP 3,674

27.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 CA$2.19

$1.13 COP 3,692

38.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 CA$3.86

$0.85 COP 2,753

222.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 CA$2.27

$0.91 COP 2,975

76.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.82 CA$16.63

$2.34 COP 7,629

405.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.86 CA$18.10

$12.37 COP 40.3K

3.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.61

$1.20 COP 3,909

114.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 CA$5.14

$2.49 COP 8,104

46.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 CA$3.28

$0.84 COP 2,727

177.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.5 CA$72.5

$40.57 COP 132.1K

26.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 CA$4.82

$1.42 COP 4,623

140.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 CA$1.92

$1.92 COP 6,235

-28.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.83 CA$40.57

$7.66 COP 24.9K

276.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 CA$1.42

$0.99 COP 3,223

2.02%

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

$24.8K CA$34.9K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

37.54%

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

$21.6K CA$30.5K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

-18.71%

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

$215 CA$302

$80.8 COP 263.1K

165.68%

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

$40.79 CA$57.4

$9.95 COP 32.4K

309.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.0 CA$83.0

$24.18 COP 78.7K

144.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 CA$80.4

$25.08 COP 81.6K

127.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.79 CA$51.8

$19.15 COP 62.3K

92.11%

Cinema Ticket

$12.51 CA$17.60

$3.98 COP 13.0K

214.32%

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

$883 CA$1,243

$305 COP 993.4K

189.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.5K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

164.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 CA$73.2

$58.1 COP 189.2K

-10.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.27 CA$38.37

$32.20 COP 104.8K

-15.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.4 CA$99.1

$101 COP 327.9K

-30.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 CA$97.6

$108 COP 350.8K

-35.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 CA$1,167

$477 COP 1.6M

74.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 CA$1,045

$376 COP 1.2M

97.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 CA$1,941

$845 COP 2.7M

63.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 CA$1,695

$730 COP 2.4M

64.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,315 CA$1,851

$3,215 COP 10.5M

-59.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,914 CA$2,693

$1,372 COP 4.5M

39.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,948 CA$4,148

$617 COP 2.0M

377.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.71

13.43

-57.48%

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

Last update for Medicine Hat: July 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $830 in Medicine Hat versus $477 in Medellin. 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 378% higher in Medicine Hat, 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 $69.0 in Medicine Hat versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $193 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Medicine Hat vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medicine Hat is pricier by about 84%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,837 per month in Medicine Hat and $1,546 in Medellin. 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 $69.0 in Medicine Hat and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,891 in Medicine Hat and $1,031 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,031, than in Medicine Hat at $1,891. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medicine Hat 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, Medicine Hat makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.