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 $2,002 per month in Sault Ste. Marie vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,967 per month in Sault Ste. Marie vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,931 per month in Sault Ste. Marie vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Sault Ste. Marie costs about 98% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Sault Ste. Marie sits 49% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.61 CA$23.10

$5.99 COP 21.3K

177.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 CA$102

$32.86 COP 116.9K

122.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 CA$13.85

$7.09 COP 25.2K

40.48%

Cappuccino

$3.51 CA$4.88

$1.71 COP 6,093

105.26%

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

$1.74 CA$2.42

$1.10 COP 3,910

58.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 CA$1.86

$0.78 COP 2,771

71.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.47 CA$6.22

$1.68 COP 5,976

166.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.43 CA$7.55

$3.07 COP 10.9K

76.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.66 CA$3.70

$1.09 COP 3,892

144.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 CA$3.23

$1.26 COP 4,492

84.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.82 CA$5.31

$1.38 COP 4,905

176.81%

Eggs

$2.94 CA$4.09

$2.19 COP 7,799

34.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 CA$12.56

$4.40 COP 15.7K

105.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 CA$14.24

$5.63 COP 20.0K

81.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.61 CA$16.14

$8.89 COP 31.6K

30.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 CA$4.24

$2.34 COP 8,319

30.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 CA$1.61

$1.06 COP 3,764

9.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 CA$4.25

$1.50 COP 5,355

104.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.59 CA$5.00

$1.38 COP 4,906

160.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.07

$1.15 COP 4,097

91.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 CA$2.20

$1.16 COP 4,141

36.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 CA$3.80

$0.89 COP 3,170

207.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.26

$0.84 COP 2,986

92.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.66 CA$16.22

$2.28 COP 8,116

411.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 CA$15.23

$10.64 COP 37.9K

2.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 CA$2.63

$1.20 COP 4,268

57.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 CA$3.44

$2.47 COP 8,793

0.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.37

$0.86 COP 3,045

181.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.7 CA$81.6

$41.40 COP 147.3K

41.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 CA$5.01

$1.47 COP 5,245

144.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 CA$2.60

$1.96 COP 6,984

-4.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.31 CA$33.81

$7.74 COP 27.5K

214.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 CA$1.55

$0.95 COP 3,397

16.84%

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

$24.7K CA$34.3K

$18.1K COP 64.5M

35.98%

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

$20.0K CA$27.8K

$26.5K COP 94.2M

-24.47%

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

$167 CA$232

$82.3 COP 292.7K

102.54%

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

$41.14 CA$57.2

$9.50 COP 33.8K

333.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 CA$96.1

$24.23 COP 86.2K

185.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.11 CA$46.05

$25.89 COP 92.1K

27.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.38 CA$25.55

$19.00 COP 67.6K

-3.26%

Cinema Ticket

$12.58 CA$17.50

$3.93 COP 14.0K

220.10%

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

$510 CA$709

$309 COP 1.1M

64.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,122 CA$7,123

$5,965 COP 21.2M

-14.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.27 CA$65.7

$58.7 COP 208.7K

-19.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.55 CA$50.8

$32.35 COP 115.1K

12.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.2 CA$86.5

$103 COP 365.1K

-39.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 CA$174

$108 COP 385.8K

15.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$901 CA$1,253

$476 COP 1.7M

89.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$915 CA$1,272

$379 COP 1.3M

141.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,477 CA$2,054

$838 COP 3.0M

76.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 CA$2,125

$724 COP 2.6M

111.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,847 CA$2,569

$2,791 COP 9.9M

-33.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,607 CA$7,797

$1,211 COP 4.3M

362.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,036 CA$4,222

$512 COP 1.8M

493.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

13.43

-50.34%

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

Last update for Sault Ste. Marie: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $901 in Sault Ste. Marie 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 493% 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 $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $319 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

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

Yes – Sault Ste. Marie is pricier by about 98%, 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 $3,003 per month in Sault Ste. Marie 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 $73.0 in Sault Ste. Marie 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 $2,002 in Sault Ste. Marie 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 Sault Ste. Marie at $2,002. 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.