Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quesnel and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,330 in Quesnel, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Quesnel
Learn more

Quesnel Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Quesnel

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,330

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,330 per month in Quesnel vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Quesnel $2,330
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $3,279 per month in Quesnel vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Quesnel $3,279
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $4,227 per month in Quesnel vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Quesnel $4,227
Medellin $3,190

Quesnel costs about 44% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Quesnel and Medellin sit above the global median – Quesnel by 73%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.27 CA$23.00

$7.93 COP 25.2K

105.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.91 CA$63.5

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-2.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 CA$15.41

$9.50 COP 30.1K

14.74%

Cappuccino

$4.02 CA$5.69

$3.11 COP 9,866

29.26%

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

$2.38 CA$3.36

$1.83 COP 5,800

30.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 CA$2.81

$1.38 COP 4,360

44.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.50 CA$6.37

$3.05 COP 9,672

47.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 CA$8.12

$5.50 COP 17.4K

4.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.45 COP 4,600

56.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 CA$3.46

$2.36 COP 7,496

3.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.59

$1.68 COP 5,328

135.12%

Eggs

$4.66 CA$6.59

$2.86 COP 9,077

62.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.82 CA$16.72

$10.19 COP 32.3K

16.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.49 CA$23.31

$9.53 COP 30.2K

73.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.55 CA$23.40

$14.04 COP 44.5K

17.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.72

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-0.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 CA$1.82

$1.50 COP 4,742

-14.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 CA$6.17

$2.17 COP 6,891

100.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 CA$6.03

$2.31 COP 7,310

84.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 CA$4.30

$1.93 COP 6,113

57.51%

Onion (1kg)

$3.64 CA$5.15

$1.64 COP 5,196

121.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.48

$1.13 COP 3,571

117.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.43

$1.25 COP 3,954

37.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.87 CA$16.78

$3.99 COP 12.6K

197.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 CA$14.79

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-21.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 CA$3.60

$1.70 COP 5,384

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 CA$4.58

$2.37 COP 7,525

36.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$1.21 COP 3,827

83.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.6 CA$78.7

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-27.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 CA$3.53

$1.32 COP 4,179

88.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 CA$3.03

$2.14 COP 6,774

0.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.45 CA$58.6

$8.47 COP 26.8K

389.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.76

$1.30 COP 4,114

-4.62%

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

$28.6K CA$40.4K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

2.16%

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

$22.1K CA$31.2K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-37.59%

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

$172 CA$243

$172 COP 545.6K

0.02%

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

$38.46 CA$54.4

$13.37 COP 42.4K

187.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 CA$97.7

$28.73 COP 91.1K

140.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.54 CA$57.3

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-10.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 CA$25.89

$17.04 COP 54.0K

7.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.26 CA$10.26

$6.28 COP 19.9K

15.61%

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

$736 CA$1,041

$770 COP 2.4M

-4.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K CA$17.5K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

37.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.45 CA$51.5

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-57.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.75 CA$64.7

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-19.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 CA$108

$137 COP 432.9K

-43.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 CA$151

$97.9 COP 310.4K

9.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$771 CA$1,089

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-26.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 CA$1,601

$616 COP 2.0M

83.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,910 CA$2,701

$1,892 COP 6.0M

0.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,664 CA$2,353

$1,023 COP 3.2M

62.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,754 CA$5,306

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-7.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,780 CA$5,344

$1,678 COP 5.3M

125.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,424 CA$3,427

$652 COP 2.1M

271.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.35

10.94

-51.10%

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

Last update for Quesnel: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quesnel

$1.1K 48.6%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 45.6% $517

Groceries & Markets

Quesnel

$403 17.3%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 26.9% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quesnel

$280 12%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 23.4% $66

Eating Out

Quesnel

$263 11.3%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 35.9% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Quesnel

$120 5.1%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 42.3% $51

Getting Around

Quesnel

$78 3.3%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 20% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Quesnel

$55 2.4%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 5% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $771 in Quesnel versus $1,055 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 272% higher in Quesnel, 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 $45.00 in Quesnel versus $46.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $403 in Quesnel vs $295 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Quesnel

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

13:30 1:30 PM

15:30 3:30 PM

2 h ahead of Quesnel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,007

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Quesnel Medellin 6,700 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Quesnel
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

Quesnel vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Quesnel is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,495 per month in Quesnel and $2,421 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 $45.00 in Quesnel and $46.00 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 $2,330 in Quesnel and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 44%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Quesnel at $2,330. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Quesnel 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, Quesnel makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.