Cost of Living Comparison Between Quesnel and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Quesnel and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,456 per month in Quesnel vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,465 per month in Quesnel vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,475 per month in Quesnel vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Quesnel costs about 143% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Quesnel sits 83% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.78 CA$26.09

$5.99 COP 21.4K

213.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.30 CA$67.1

$32.86 COP 117.2K

46.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.29 CA$15.69

$7.09 COP 25.3K

59.24%

Cappuccino

$4.27 CA$5.93

$1.71 COP 6,105

149.71%

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

$2.13 CA$2.96

$1.10 COP 3,918

93.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 CA$2.33

$0.78 COP 2,776

115.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 CA$6.16

$1.68 COP 5,987

163.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 CA$8.41

$3.07 COP 10.9K

97.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 CA$3.97

$1.09 COP 3,899

162.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 CA$3.92

$1.26 COP 4,500

123.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.20 CA$7.22

$1.38 COP 4,914

276.81%

Eggs

$4.13 CA$5.74

$2.19 COP 7,813

88.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 CA$9.60

$4.40 COP 15.7K

57.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.62 CA$11.98

$5.63 COP 20.1K

53.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 CA$15.15

$8.89 COP 31.7K

22.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.54 CA$6.31

$2.34 COP 8,334

94.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 CA$1.91

$1.06 COP 3,771

29.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.58 CA$6.37

$1.50 COP 5,365

205.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.69

$1.38 COP 4,915

197.10%

Potato (1kg)

$4.34 CA$6.02

$1.15 COP 4,104

277.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.00

$1.16 COP 4,148

210.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.38 CA$4.69

$0.89 COP 3,176

279.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 CA$2.35

$0.84 COP 2,992

101.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.71 CA$17.66

$2.28 COP 8,131

457.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.83 CA$15.04

$10.64 COP 37.9K

1.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.05

$1.20 COP 4,276

142.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 CA$6.77

$2.47 COP 8,809

97.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.81 CA$2.52

$0.86 COP 3,051

110.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.7 CA$88.5

$41.40 COP 147.6K

53.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 CA$3.66

$1.47 COP 5,255

79.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 CA$2.87

$1.96 COP 6,997

5.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.73 CA$60.8

$7.74 COP 27.6K

464.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.72

$0.95 COP 3,403

30.53%

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

$25.2K CA$35.0K

$18.1K COP 64.6M

38.78%

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

$18.6K CA$25.9K

$26.5K COP 94.4M

-29.59%

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

$221 CA$307

$82.3 COP 293.2K

168.63%

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

$43.95 CA$61.1

$9.50 COP 33.9K

362.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.8 CA$94.1

$24.23 COP 86.4K

179.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.6 CA$104

$25.89 COP 92.3K

188.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

Cinema Ticket

$10.21 CA$14.18

$3.93 COP 14.0K

159.80%

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

$554 CA$770

$309 COP 1.1M

79.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K CA$16.1K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

94.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.50 CA$53.5

$58.7 COP 209.1K

-34.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.7 CA$81.6

$32.35 COP 115.3K

81.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.6 CA$111

$103 COP 365.7K

-22.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 CA$154

$108 COP 386.5K

2.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$954 CA$1,325

$476 COP 1.7M

100.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 CA$1,647

$379 COP 1.4M

212.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,051 CA$2,850

$838 COP 3.0M

144.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,822 CA$2,532

$724 COP 2.6M

151.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,391 CA$6,100

$2,791 COP 9.9M

57.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,722 CA$5,172

$1,211 COP 4.3M

207.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,426 CA$3,371

$512 COP 1.8M

374.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

13.43

-51.90%

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

Last update for Quesnel: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $954 in Quesnel versus $476 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 374% 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 $48.00 in Quesnel versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $360 vs $188 – 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

Quesnel vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Quesnel is pricier by about 143%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,684 per month in Quesnel and $1,519 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 $48.00 in Quesnel 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 $2,456 in Quesnel and $1,013 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 $1,013, than in Quesnel at $2,456. 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.