Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Westminster and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,536 in New Westminster, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in New Westminster
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New Westminster Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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New Westminster

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,536

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New Westminster 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 New Westminster and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,536 per month in New Westminster vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

New Westminster $2,536
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $3,772 per month in New Westminster vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

New Westminster $3,772
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $5,008 per month in New Westminster vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

New Westminster $5,008
Medellin $3,186

New Westminster costs about 55% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both New Westminster and Medellin sit above the global median – New Westminster by 86%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.53 CA$27.29

$8.09 COP 26.1K

141.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.69 CA$69.4

$47.05 COP 151.7K

5.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.26 CA$14.33

$9.50 COP 30.6K

8.00%

Cappuccino

$3.55 CA$4.96

$3.01 COP 9,722

17.94%

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

$1.88 CA$2.63

$1.80 COP 5,801

4.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.31

$1.41 COP 4,554

17.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 CA$8.58

$3.18 COP 10.2K

93.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 CA$7.77

$5.75 COP 18.5K

-3.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 CA$2.50

$1.51 COP 4,869

18.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 CA$3.32

$2.38 COP 7,667

-0.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.49 CA$4.88

$1.77 COP 5,712

97.18%

Eggs

$3.23 CA$4.51

$2.89 COP 9,320

11.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.95 CA$15.30

$10.19 COP 32.9K

7.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.61 CA$21.81

$9.87 COP 31.8K

58.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.23 CA$38.05

$13.99 COP 45.1K

94.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.46

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-1.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 CA$2.07

$1.55 COP 5,005

-4.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 CA$5.29

$2.18 COP 7,039

73.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.18

$2.18 COP 7,041

70.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 CA$3.44

$1.96 COP 6,328

25.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.07

$1.59 COP 5,125

38.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 CA$3.20

$1.15 COP 3,694

99.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 CA$2.59

$1.24 COP 4,009

49.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.50 CA$21.65

$3.96 COP 12.8K

291.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 CA$15.21

$13.68 COP 44.1K

-20.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 CA$2.85

$1.66 COP 5,352

22.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 CA$3.93

$2.26 COP 7,281

24.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 CA$3.44

$1.17 COP 3,766

110.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.0 CA$127

$77.4 COP 249.5K

17.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 CA$3.04

$1.27 COP 4,089

70.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 CA$2.52

$2.05 COP 6,603

-11.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.72 CA$31.75

$8.55 COP 27.6K

165.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 CA$1.84

$1.35 COP 4,343

-2.22%

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

$24.4K CA$34.1K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-28.45%

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

$20.9K CA$29.2K

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-39.64%

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

$141 CA$196

$170 COP 547.0K

-17.13%

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

$43.47 CA$60.7

$13.55 COP 43.7K

220.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.0 CA$90.9

$28.07 COP 90.5K

131.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.49 CA$46.80

$43.70 COP 140.9K

-23.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.69 CA$24.72

$17.19 COP 55.4K

2.91%

Cinema Ticket

$11.52 CA$16.09

$6.91 COP 22.3K

66.71%

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

$794 CA$1,109

$797 COP 2.6M

-0.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,694 CA$12.1K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-4.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 CA$73.2

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-38.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.09 CA$57.4

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-29.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 CA$112

$135 COP 435.2K

-40.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 CA$138

$97.9 COP 315.6K

0.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,624 CA$2,269

$1,208 COP 3.9M

34.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 CA$1,824

$642 COP 2.1M

103.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,668 CA$3,729

$2,028 COP 6.5M

31.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,310 CA$3,228

$1,012 COP 3.3M

128.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,751 CA$6,639

$4,170 COP 13.4M

13.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,037 CA$5,641

$1,910 COP 6.2M

111.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,171 CA$4,431

$657 COP 2.1M

382.53%

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 New Westminster: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New Westminster

$1.3K 51.5%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 50.9% $664

Groceries & Markets

New Westminster

$404 15.9%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 26.5% $107

Eating Out

New Westminster

$286 11.3%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 40.6% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Westminster

$249 9.8%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 15.2% $38

Clothing & Footwear

New Westminster

$122 4.8%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 38% $46

Getting Around

New Westminster

$112 4.4%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 16.5% $19

Sport & Entertainment

New Westminster

$57 2.2%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 1.8% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,624 in New Westminster versus $1,208 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 New Westminster are about 4.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in New Westminster versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $404 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 New Westminster

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

06:33 6:33 AM

08:33 8:33 AM

2 h ahead of New Westminster

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,000

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

New Westminster Medellin 6,500 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

New Westminster
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

New Westminster vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New Westminster is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,803 per month in New Westminster and $2,459 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,624 in New Westminster.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in New Westminster 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 $2,536 in New Westminster and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 35% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in New Westminster at $2,536. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in New Westminster 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 $2,536 in New Westminster. 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, New Westminster makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.