Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between North Vancouver and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,792 in North Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in North Vancouver
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North Vancouver Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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North Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,792

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,792 per month in North Vancouver vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

North Vancouver $2,792
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $4,190 per month in North Vancouver vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

North Vancouver $4,190
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $5,588 per month in North Vancouver vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

North Vancouver $5,588
Medellin $3,249

North Vancouver costs about 65% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both North Vancouver and Medellin sit above the global median – North Vancouver by 107%, Medellin by 25%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.53 CA$30.18

$8.34 COP 26.9K

158.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 CA$90.5

$46.53 COP 150.3K

38.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.20 CA$12.89

$9.47 COP 30.6K

-2.85%

Cappuccino

$4.34 CA$6.08

$3.13 COP 10.1K

38.66%

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

$2.26 CA$3.16

$1.77 COP 5,705

27.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.41

$1.42 COP 4,601

21.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.94 CA$6.92

$3.15 COP 10.2K

56.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 CA$8.72

$5.70 COP 18.4K

9.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.81

$1.53 COP 4,950

30.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 CA$4.06

$2.29 COP 7,401

26.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 CA$4.75

$1.94 COP 6,282

74.74%

Eggs

$3.14 CA$4.40

$3.07 COP 9,905

2.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.91 CA$19.49

$9.99 COP 32.3K

39.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.01 CA$19.64

$10.45 COP 33.7K

34.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.65 CA$21.93

$13.96 COP 45.1K

12.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 CA$5.84

$4.05 COP 13.1K

2.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$1.53 COP 4,937

-7.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 CA$6.14

$2.10 COP 6,797

108.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 CA$5.86

$2.29 COP 7,409

82.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 CA$4.09

$2.11 COP 6,813

37.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.98

$1.71 COP 5,521

66.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 CA$3.93

$1.17 COP 3,780

139.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 CA$2.98

$1.58 COP 5,104

34.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.32 CA$20.07

$3.91 COP 12.6K

266.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.15 CA$19.83

$14.04 COP 45.4K

0.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 CA$3.01

$1.76 COP 5,690

22.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 CA$3.92

$2.71 COP 8,760

3.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 CA$3.61

$1.18 COP 3,811

117.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 CA$143

$76.3 COP 246.4K

34.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 CA$3.79

$1.81 COP 5,836

49.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 CA$2.13

$2.13 COP 6,878

-28.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.60 CA$38.69

$8.13 COP 26.3K

239.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 CA$1.80

$1.28 COP 4,119

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

$28.0K CA$39.3K

$34.4K COP 111.2M

-18.57%

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

$20.8K CA$29.1K

$34.1K COP 110.3M

-39.11%

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

$128 CA$180

$178 COP 574.1K

-27.85%

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

$37.76 CA$52.9

$13.89 COP 44.9K

171.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.56 CA$68.1

$30.74 COP 99.3K

57.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.51 CA$38.57

$41.94 COP 135.5K

-34.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.73 CA$34.67

$16.80 COP 54.3K

47.20%

Cinema Ticket

$12.29 CA$17.23

$7.47 COP 24.1K

64.52%

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

$1,049 CA$1,470

$790 COP 2.6M

32.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K CA$18.2K

$12.3K COP 39.7M

5.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 CA$91.2

$86.3 COP 278.9K

-24.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.80 CA$54.4

$59.3 COP 191.4K

-34.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 CA$115

$138 COP 446.9K

-40.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 CA$155

$98.8 COP 319.2K

11.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 CA$2,770

$1,341 COP 4.3M

47.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 CA$2,196

$667 COP 2.2M

134.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,383 CA$4,742

$1,976 COP 6.4M

71.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,800 CA$3,925

$1,033 COP 3.3M

171.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,282 CA$11.6K

$4,098 COP 13.2M

102.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,889 CA$8,255

$1,940 COP 6.3M

203.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,142 CA$4,405

$646 COP 2.1M

386.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.69

10.94

-57.13%

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

Last update for North Vancouver: October 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

North Vancouver

$1.6K 56.1%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 57.4% $900

Groceries & Markets

North Vancouver

$397 14.2%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 22.6% $90

Eating Out

North Vancouver

$305 10.9%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 43.4% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

North Vancouver

$215 7.7%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 3.6% $7.8

Clothing & Footwear

North Vancouver

$134 4.8%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 29% $39

Getting Around

North Vancouver

$123 4.4%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 23.9% $29

Sport & Entertainment

North Vancouver

$52 1.9%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 9.2% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,976 in North Vancouver 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 North Vancouver are about 4.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65 in North Vancouver versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $397 vs $307 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 North Vancouver

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

21:41 9:41 PM

23:41 11:41 PM

2 h ahead of North Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

48,200

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,626 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

North Vancouver Medellin 6,520 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

North Vancouver
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

North Vancouver vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – North Vancouver is pricier by about 65%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,188 per month in North Vancouver and $2,538 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 $1,341 there versus $1,976 in North Vancouver.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65 in North Vancouver 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 $2,792 in North Vancouver and $1,692 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 39% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,692, than in North Vancouver at $2,792. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in North Vancouver it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,692 versus $2,792 in North Vancouver. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, North Vancouver makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.