Cost of Living Comparison Between Oshawa and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Oshawa and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,557 per month in Oshawa vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,795 per month in Oshawa vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,032 per month in Oshawa vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Oshawa costs about 147% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Oshawa sits 91% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.21 CA$24.95

$5.92 COP 21.5K

207.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.8 CA$99.7

$32.75 COP 119.1K

122.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 CA$14.32

$7.20 COP 26.2K

45.14%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.24

$1.70 COP 6,186

125.29%

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

$1.88 CA$2.57

$1.10 COP 3,996

70.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.13

$0.72 COP 2,625

115.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.29 CA$7.24

$1.67 COP 6,067

216.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 CA$8.41

$3.10 COP 11.3K

98.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.68 CA$3.67

$1.06 COP 3,837

152.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 CA$3.55

$1.25 COP 4,531

107.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 CA$5.01

$1.39 COP 5,060

163.31%

Eggs

$3.40 CA$4.66

$2.26 COP 8,229

50.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.26 CA$16.79

$4.33 COP 15.8K

183.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.44 CA$15.67

$5.84 COP 21.2K

95.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.29 CA$22.31

$8.83 COP 32.1K

84.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 CA$4.92

$2.24 COP 8,159

60.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 CA$1.59

$1.08 COP 3,911

7.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.29

$1.53 COP 5,563

152.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 CA$6.94

$1.37 COP 4,987

270.07%

Potato (1kg)

$4.55 CA$6.23

$1.13 COP 4,109

302.65%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 CA$4.52

$1.12 COP 4,067

194.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 CA$4.14

$0.85 COP 3,080

255.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 CA$1.83

$0.91 COP 3,305

47.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.01 CA$20.57

$2.33 COP 8,477

544.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.89 CA$17.66

$11.13 COP 40.5K

15.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 CA$4.20

$1.19 COP 4,342

157.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 CA$4.11

$2.37 COP 8,617

26.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 CA$3.74

$0.79 COP 2,859

245.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.9 CA$120

$41.13 COP 149.6K

113.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 CA$4.93

$1.44 COP 5,223

150.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 CA$3.02

$1.91 COP 6,952

15.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.25 CA$30.48

$8.02 COP 29.2K

177.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 CA$1.51

$0.94 COP 3,410

17.02%

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

$25.1K CA$34.4K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

40.29%

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

$20.6K CA$28.2K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-23.05%

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

$236 CA$323

$84.0 COP 305.4K

180.66%

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

$57.9 CA$79.4

$9.60 COP 34.9K

503.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.9 CA$103

$24.16 COP 87.9K

210.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 CA$57.3

$25.88 COP 94.1K

61.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.03 CA$50.7

$19.04 COP 69.3K

94.49%

Cinema Ticket

$12.34 CA$16.90

$3.92 COP 14.2K

214.80%

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

$1,346 CA$1,845

$306 COP 1.1M

339.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K CA$16.4K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

102.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 CA$80.9

$57.9 COP 210.6K

1.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.6 CA$79.0

$31.82 COP 115.7K

81.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 CA$160

$99.9 COP 363.3K

16.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 CA$217

$107 COP 389.7K

47.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 CA$1,785

$487 COP 1.8M

167.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 CA$1,625

$368 COP 1.3M

222.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,991 CA$2,727

$826 COP 3.0M

141.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 CA$2,659

$716 COP 2.6M

171.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,248 CA$7,189

$2,925 COP 10.6M

79.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.6K CA$14.5K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

652.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,106 CA$4,255

$546 COP 2.0M

469.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

13.43

-53.76%

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

Last update for Oshawa: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,303 in Oshawa versus $487 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 469% higher in Oshawa, 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 $73.0 in Oshawa versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $190 – 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

Oshawa vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Oshawa is pricier by about 147%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,836 per month in Oshawa and $1,550 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 $73.0 in Oshawa 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 $2,557 in Oshawa and $1,034 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 $1,034, than in Oshawa at $2,557. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Oshawa 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, Oshawa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.