Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saanich and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,592 in Saanich, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Saanich
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Saanich Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Saanich

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,592

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,592 per month in Saanich vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Saanich $2,592
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $3,650 per month in Saanich vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Saanich $3,650
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $4,707 per month in Saanich vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Saanich $4,707
Medellin $3,186

Saanich costs about 58% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Saanich and Medellin sit above the global median – Saanich by 90%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.77 CA$24.83

$8.09 COP 26.1K

119.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$99.2

$47.05 COP 151.9K

50.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.26 CA$15.73

$9.50 COP 30.7K

18.53%

Cappuccino

$4.25 CA$5.93

$3.01 COP 9,735

41.20%

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

$2.34 CA$3.27

$1.80 COP 5,809

30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 CA$2.42

$1.41 COP 4,561

22.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.58 CA$7.80

$3.18 COP 10.3K

75.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.59 CA$9.21

$5.75 COP 18.6K

14.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 CA$2.70

$1.51 COP 4,876

27.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 CA$4.24

$2.38 COP 7,678

27.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 CA$4.36

$1.77 COP 5,720

76.27%

Eggs

$4.08 CA$5.70

$2.89 COP 9,333

41.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.36 CA$15.87

$10.19 COP 32.9K

11.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.69 CA$17.74

$9.87 COP 31.9K

28.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 CA$24.23

$13.99 COP 45.2K

23.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.62 CA$6.46

$3.97 COP 12.8K

16.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.02

$1.55 COP 5,012

-7.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 CA$5.91

$2.18 COP 7,048

94.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.78 CA$8.07

$2.18 COP 7,051

165.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.45 CA$4.82

$1.96 COP 6,337

76.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.04

$1.59 COP 5,132

81.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.26 CA$4.56

$1.15 COP 3,699

183.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.10

$1.24 COP 4,014

79.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.46 CA$20.20

$3.96 COP 12.8K

265.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.63 CA$21.84

$13.68 COP 44.2K

14.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 CA$3.73

$1.66 COP 5,359

60.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 CA$5.09

$2.26 COP 7,291

61.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 CA$3.19

$1.17 COP 3,771

95.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.0 CA$112

$77.4 COP 249.8K

3.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 CA$3.95

$1.27 COP 4,094

122.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 CA$2.19

$2.05 COP 6,612

-23.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.10 CA$39.26

$8.55 COP 27.6K

228.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 CA$1.94

$1.35 COP 4,349

2.96%

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

$28.4K CA$39.7K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-16.55%

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

$21.0K CA$29.4K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-39.32%

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

$119 CA$166

$170 COP 547.8K

-29.90%

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

$41.27 CA$57.7

$13.55 COP 43.8K

204.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.2 CA$92.5

$28.07 COP 90.6K

135.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.6 CA$97.2

$43.70 COP 141.1K

59.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$11.22 CA$15.67

$6.91 COP 22.3K

62.37%

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

$877 CA$1,225

$797 COP 2.6M

10.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K CA$18.6K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

46.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 CA$75.8

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-35.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.53 CA$49.64

$58.0 COP 187.2K

-38.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 CA$126

$135 COP 435.8K

-33.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 CA$150

$97.9 COP 316.0K

9.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,470 CA$2,053

$1,208 COP 3.9M

21.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 CA$1,882

$642 COP 2.1M

109.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 CA$2,848

$2,028 COP 6.5M

0.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,890 CA$2,641

$1,012 COP 3.3M

86.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,819 CA$5,335

$1,910 COP 6.2M

99.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,903 CA$4,056

$657 COP 2.1M

341.83%

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 Saanich: 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

Saanich

$1.3K 52%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 52.4% $705

Groceries & Markets

Saanich

$413 16%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 28.2% $116

Eating Out

Saanich

$284 11%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 40.3% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saanich

$226 8.7%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 6.7% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Saanich

$129 5%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 30.6% $40

Getting Around

Saanich

$100 3.9%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 6.3% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Saanich

$92 3.6%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 37.5% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,470 in Saanich 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 Saanich are about 4.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Saanich versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $413 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Saanich

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

06:50 6:50 AM

08:50 8:50 AM

2 h ahead of Saanich

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,735

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 2, 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Saanich Medellin 6,490 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Saanich
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

Saanich vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saanich is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,888 per month in Saanich 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 $1,470 in Saanich.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Saanich 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 $2,592 in Saanich and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 37% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Saanich at $2,592. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saanich 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Saanich makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.