Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nanaimo, BC and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,383 in Nanaimo, BC, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Nanaimo, BC
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Nanaimo, BC Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Nanaimo, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,383

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nanaimo, BC and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,383 per month in Nanaimo, BC vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Nanaimo, BC $2,383
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $3,379 per month in Nanaimo, BC vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Nanaimo, BC $3,379
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $4,375 per month in Nanaimo, BC vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Nanaimo, BC $4,375
Medellin $3,249

Nanaimo, BC costs about 41% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nanaimo, BC and Medellin sit above the global median – Nanaimo, BC by 76%, Medellin by 25%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.50

$8.34 COP 27.0K

110.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.9 CA$109

$46.53 COP 150.9K

67.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 CA$15.85

$9.47 COP 30.7K

19.85%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.54

$3.13 COP 10.2K

26.84%

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

$2.27 CA$3.17

$1.77 COP 5,727

28.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.27

$1.42 COP 4,619

14.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 CA$8.22

$3.15 COP 10.2K

86.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 CA$7.94

$5.70 COP 18.5K

-0.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 CA$2.33

$1.53 COP 4,969

9.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 CA$4.63

$2.29 COP 7,429

44.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 CA$4.41

$1.94 COP 6,306

62.89%

Eggs

$4.24 CA$5.92

$3.07 COP 9,942

38.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.51 CA$16.07

$9.99 COP 32.4K

15.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 CA$19.34

$10.45 COP 33.9K

32.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.38 CA$24.25

$13.96 COP 45.3K

24.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.30 CA$6.00

$4.05 COP 13.1K

6.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 CA$1.81

$1.53 COP 4,956

-15.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.43 CA$6.19

$2.10 COP 6,823

110.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.78 CA$8.06

$2.29 COP 7,437

152.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 CA$3.36

$2.11 COP 6,839

14.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 CA$3.97

$1.71 COP 5,542

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 CA$3.94

$1.17 COP 3,794

141.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 CA$3.22

$1.58 COP 5,123

46.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.51 CA$20.25

$3.91 COP 12.7K

271.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 CA$19.59

$14.04 COP 45.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 CA$3.56

$1.76 COP 5,712

44.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 CA$3.69

$2.71 COP 8,793

-2.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 CA$2.72

$1.18 COP 3,825

65.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.89 CA$65.4

$76.3 COP 247.4K

-38.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 CA$3.94

$1.81 COP 5,859

56.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 CA$2.71

$2.13 COP 6,904

-8.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.00 CA$50.2

$8.13 COP 26.4K

342.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.87

$1.28 COP 4,135

4.69%

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

$26.0K CA$36.3K

$34.4K COP 111.7M

-24.54%

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

$21.0K CA$29.3K

$34.1K COP 110.7M

-38.52%

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

$149 CA$208

$178 COP 576.3K

-16.20%

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

$40.43 CA$56.4

$13.89 COP 45.0K

191.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.5 CA$92.8

$30.74 COP 99.7K

116.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.98 CA$36.25

$41.94 COP 136.0K

-38.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.63 CA$27.39

$16.80 COP 54.5K

16.85%

Cinema Ticket

$10.98 CA$15.32

$7.47 COP 24.2K

46.99%

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

$699 CA$975

$790 COP 2.6M

-11.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K CA$21.0K

$12.3K COP 39.9M

22.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 CA$70.0

$86.3 COP 279.9K

-41.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.30 CA$46.47

$59.3 COP 192.2K

-43.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 CA$139

$138 COP 448.6K

-28.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 CA$158

$98.8 COP 320.4K

14.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 CA$2,017

$1,341 COP 4.3M

7.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 CA$1,662

$667 COP 2.2M

78.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,060 CA$2,875

$1,976 COP 6.4M

4.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 CA$2,287

$1,033 COP 3.3M

58.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,800 CA$5,304

$4,098 COP 13.3M

-7.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,417 CA$4,768

$1,940 COP 6.3M

76.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,169 CA$4,422

$646 COP 2.1M

390.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

10.94

-56.86%

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

Last update for Nanaimo, BC: November 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nanaimo, BC

$1.2K 50%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 44% $524

Groceries & Markets

Nanaimo, BC

$409 17.2%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 24.9% $102

Eating Out

Nanaimo, BC

$279 11.7%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 38% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nanaimo, BC

$256 10.7%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 13.1% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Nanaimo, BC

$133 5.6%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 29.3% $39

Getting Around

Nanaimo, BC

$67 2.8%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 39% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Nanaimo, BC

$48 2%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 18.7% $9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,445 in Nanaimo, BC versus $1,341 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 in Nanaimo, BC are about 4.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Nanaimo, BC versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $409 vs $307 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Nanaimo, BC

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

09:03 9:03 AM

11:03 11:03 AM

2 h ahead of Nanaimo, BC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,504

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.717 USD

1 CAD = 0.639 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.717 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.639 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,635 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nanaimo, BC Medellin 6,570 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Nanaimo, BC
Medellin

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

Nanaimo, BC vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nanaimo, BC is pricier by about 41%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,575 per month in Nanaimo, BC and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,445 in Nanaimo, BC and $1,341 in Medellin. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Nanaimo, BC and $47 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 $2,383 in Nanaimo, BC and $1,692 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 29% cheaper.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,692 in Medellin to $2,383 in Nanaimo, BC. 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, Nanaimo, BC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.