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 $2,003 per month in Sault Ste. Marie vs $1,018 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,995 per month in Sault Ste. Marie vs $1,609 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,988 per month in Sault Ste. Marie vs $2,200 in Medellin, rent included.

Sault Ste. Marie costs about 97% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Sault Ste. Marie sits 50% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 CA$23.54

$5.93 COP 19.1K

181.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.3 CA$102

$33.12 COP 106.4K

118.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 CA$13.87

$7.12 COP 22.9K

38.20%

Cappuccino

$3.60 CA$5.08

$1.71 COP 5,480

110.53%

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

$1.75 CA$2.47

$1.05 COP 3,370

66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 CA$1.91

$0.72 COP 2,321

88.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.34 CA$6.13

$1.72 COP 5,524

152.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 CA$7.89

$3.17 COP 10.2K

76.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.77 CA$3.90

$1.06 COP 3,422

161.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 CA$3.31

$1.31 COP 4,209

78.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.66

$1.33 COP 4,273

202.26%

Eggs

$2.87 CA$4.05

$2.28 COP 7,328

25.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 CA$12.59

$4.42 COP 14.2K

102.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 CA$14.82

$5.92 COP 19.0K

77.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.28 CA$15.91

$8.64 COP 27.8K

30.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 CA$4.39

$2.34 COP 7,535

32.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 CA$1.62

$1.10 COP 3,541

4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 CA$4.09

$1.47 COP 4,718

97.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.08

$1.38 COP 4,433

160.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 CA$3.21

$1.17 COP 3,769

94.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.32

$1.17 COP 3,760

41.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 CA$3.73

$0.90 COP 2,902

194.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.24

$0.84 COP 2,704

89.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.00 CA$16.92

$2.33 COP 7,480

415.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.57 CA$14.91

$11.92 COP 38.3K

-11.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 CA$2.67

$1.15 COP 3,688

65.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.48

$2.42 COP 7,780

2.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 CA$3.34

$0.84 COP 2,698

182.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.6 CA$82.6

$40.83 COP 131.2K

43.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 CA$4.99

$1.41 COP 4,535

151.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 CA$2.67

$1.91 COP 6,152

-0.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.06 CA$33.94

$7.83 COP 25.1K

207.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.65

$0.94 COP 3,033

24.47%

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

$25.5K CA$35.9K

$17.8K COP 57.3M

43.01%

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

$20.0K CA$28.2K

$27.1K COP 87.0M

-26.20%

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

$169 CA$238

$83.3 COP 267.5K

102.65%

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

$42.08 CA$59.4

$9.66 COP 31.0K

335.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.8 CA$98.5

$24.22 COP 77.8K

188.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.51 CA$45.85

$25.22 COP 81.1K

28.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.74 CA$26.43

$19.33 COP 62.1K

-3.05%

Cinema Ticket

$12.53 CA$17.68

$4.07 COP 13.1K

207.86%

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

$515 CA$727

$307 COP 985.2K

68.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,256 CA$7,413

$5,981 COP 19.2M

-12.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.33 CA$65.4

$60.0 COP 192.6K

-22.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.42 CA$52.8

$32.65 COP 104.9K

14.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.7 CA$87.0

$101 COP 324.8K

-39.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$171

$108 COP 347.2K

12.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 CA$1,288

$476 COP 1.5M

91.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$888 CA$1,253

$379 COP 1.2M

134.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 CA$2,096

$816 COP 2.6M

82.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 CA$2,131

$707 COP 2.3M

113.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,825 CA$2,574

$3,190 COP 10.2M

-42.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,620 CA$7,927

$1,446 COP 4.6M

288.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,949 CA$4,160

$622 COP 2.0M

374.36%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $913 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 374% 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 $72.0 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $319 vs $192 – 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 97%, 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 $3,004 per month in Sault Ste. Marie and $1,527 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 $72.0 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 $2,003 in Sault Ste. Marie and $1,018 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 $1,018, than in Sault Ste. Marie at $2,003. 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.