Cost of Living Comparison Between Sault Ste. Marie and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Sault Ste. Marie and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,126 per month in Sault Ste. Marie vs $1,716 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,104 per month in Sault Ste. Marie vs $2,527 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,082 per month in Sault Ste. Marie vs $3,338 in Medellin, rent included.

Sault Ste. Marie costs about 24% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Sault Ste. Marie and Medellin sit above the global median – Sault Ste. Marie by 55%, Medellin by 25%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.21 CA$23.81

$8.03 COP 25.1K

114.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.4 CA$102

$48.26 COP 150.8K

51.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.49 CA$14.51

$9.77 COP 30.5K

7.37%

Cappuccino

$3.65 CA$5.05

$2.91 COP 9,095

25.43%

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

$1.66 CA$2.30

$1.94 COP 6,074

-14.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 CA$1.95

$1.52 COP 4,754

-7.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 CA$6.57

$3.09 COP 9,663

53.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.14 CA$7.11

$5.74 COP 17.9K

-10.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.49 CA$3.45

$1.36 COP 4,262

83.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 CA$2.87

$2.39 COP 7,460

-13.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 CA$4.61

$1.70 COP 5,314

95.88%

Eggs

$2.99 CA$4.14

$2.87 COP 8,967

4.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.31 CA$11.51

$9.94 COP 31.1K

-16.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.99 CA$13.83

$10.78 COP 33.7K

-7.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.61 CA$14.69

$14.73 COP 46.0K

-27.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 CA$4.37

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-22.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 CA$1.39

$1.57 COP 4,911

-35.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 CA$4.32

$2.13 COP 6,642

46.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 CA$4.78

$2.21 COP 6,917

56.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 CA$2.89

$2.05 COP 6,396

1.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.48

$1.50 COP 4,700

19.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 CA$3.79

$1.19 COP 3,718

130.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 CA$1.76

$1.16 COP 3,619

9.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.07 CA$22.23

$3.90 COP 12.2K

312.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 CA$14.82

$14.44 COP 45.1K

-25.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 CA$2.48

$1.58 COP 4,948

13.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 CA$3.18

$2.83 COP 8,836

-18.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 CA$3.18

$1.17 COP 3,650

96.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 CA$78.6

$77.7 COP 242.9K

-26.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 CA$4.91

$1.28 COP 4,014

177.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 CA$3.32

$2.09 COP 6,537

14.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.67 CA$32.75

$8.62 COP 26.9K

174.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 CA$1.45

$1.30 COP 4,056

-19.23%

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

$24.6K CA$34.1K

$27.7K COP 86.4M

-10.96%

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

$19.1K CA$26.4K

$35.5K COP 110.9M

-46.24%

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

$183 CA$253

$176 COP 550.1K

3.82%

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

$45.85 CA$63.5

$13.37 COP 41.8K

242.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.8 CA$109

$29.89 COP 93.4K

163.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 CA$70.9

$44.76 COP 139.8K

14.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.74 CA$24.54

$17.06 COP 53.3K

3.99%

Cinema Ticket

$11.63 CA$16.09

$6.20 COP 19.4K

87.58%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,053 CA$6,992

$9,019 COP 28.2M

-43.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.24 CA$64.0

$85.6 COP 267.5K

-45.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.29 CA$50.2

$58.5 COP 182.7K

-37.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 CA$106

$136 COP 425.9K

-43.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$168

$103 COP 322.2K

17.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$906 CA$1,253

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-14.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$952 CA$1,318

$680 COP 2.1M

40.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 CA$1,840

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-33.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,512 CA$2,092

$1,169 COP 3.7M

29.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,863 CA$2,578

$4,111 COP 12.8M

-54.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,654 CA$7,824

$1,701 COP 5.3M

232.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,052 CA$4,223

$665 COP 2.1M

358.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.53

10.94

-49.45%

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

Last update for Sault Ste. Marie: August 29, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $906 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $1,060 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 359% higher in Sault Ste. Marie, 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 Sault Ste. Marie versus $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $300 in Sault Ste. Marie vs $303 in Medellin – so Sault Ste. Marie wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Sault Ste. Marie vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sault Ste. Marie is pricier by about 24%, 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 $3,188 per month in Sault Ste. Marie and $2,574 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.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Sault Ste. Marie – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,716, than in Sault Ste. Marie at $2,126. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sault Ste. Marie 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, Sault Ste. Marie makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.