Cost of Living Comparison Between Scarborough and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Scarborough and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,651 per month in Scarborough vs $1,031 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,499 per month in Scarborough vs $1,599 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,347 per month in Scarborough vs $2,167 in Medellin, rent included.

Scarborough costs about 157% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Scarborough sits 98% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.25 CA$25.68

$6.16 COP 20.1K

196.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.6 CA$113

$32.60 COP 106.1K

147.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.11 CA$15.63

$7.34 COP 23.9K

51.36%

Cappuccino

$4.05 CA$5.70

$1.72 COP 5,599

135.47%

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

$2.16 CA$3.03

$1.05 COP 3,420

105.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 CA$2.04

$0.77 COP 2,515

88.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 CA$8.34

$1.69 COP 5,487

250.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 CA$9.47

$3.17 COP 10.3K

112.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 CA$3.34

$1.05 COP 3,423

125.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.59

$1.30 COP 4,236

96.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 CA$3.94

$1.40 COP 4,544

100.00%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$4.96

$2.16 COP 7,046

63.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.73 CA$19.31

$4.39 COP 14.3K

212.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.48 CA$16.16

$5.88 COP 19.1K

95.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.50 CA$20.40

$8.64 COP 28.1K

67.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 CA$4.84

$2.28 COP 7,425

50.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 CA$1.65

$1.11 COP 3,603

6.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 CA$4.17

$1.53 COP 4,982

93.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.78

$1.35 COP 4,410

151.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 CA$2.30

$1.13 COP 3,674

45.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 CA$3.65

$1.13 COP 3,692

129.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 CA$3.05

$0.85 COP 2,753

155.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.23

$0.91 COP 2,975

74.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.41 CA$18.87

$2.34 COP 7,629

473.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.71 CA$17.88

$12.37 COP 40.3K

2.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 CA$3.46

$1.20 COP 3,909

105.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 CA$3.60

$2.49 COP 8,104

2.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 CA$3.49

$0.84 COP 2,727

195.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 CA$147

$40.57 COP 132.1K

157.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 CA$4.47

$1.42 COP 4,623

123.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 CA$1.67

$1.92 COP 6,235

-38.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.73 CA$31.98

$7.66 COP 24.9K

196.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 CA$1.54

$0.99 COP 3,223

10.10%

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

$25.3K CA$35.6K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

40.14%

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

$21.3K CA$30.0K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

-20.04%

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

$176 CA$248

$80.8 COP 263.1K

118.36%

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

$42.59 CA$59.9

$9.95 COP 32.4K

328.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 CA$75.7

$24.18 COP 78.7K

122.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 CA$52.2

$25.08 COP 81.6K

47.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

Cinema Ticket

$14.01 CA$19.71

$3.98 COP 13.0K

252.01%

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

$846 CA$1,191

$305 COP 993.4K

177.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K CA$15.5K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

81.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 CA$81.1

$58.1 COP 189.2K

-0.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.87 CA$60.3

$32.20 COP 104.8K

33.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.3 CA$123

$101 COP 327.9K

-13.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 CA$144

$108 COP 350.8K

-5.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,756 CA$2,471

$477 COP 1.6M

268.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 CA$1,950

$376 COP 1.2M

268.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,226 CA$3,133

$845 COP 2.7M

163.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 CA$2,248

$730 COP 2.4M

118.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 CA$10.8K

$3,215 COP 10.5M

138.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,984 CA$8,419

$1,372 COP 4.5M

336.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,988 CA$4,205

$617 COP 2.0M

384.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.08

13.43

-54.73%

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

Last update for Scarborough: July 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,756 in Scarborough versus $477 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 385% higher in Scarborough, 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 $81.0 in Scarborough versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $193 – 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

Scarborough vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Scarborough is pricier by about 157%, 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 $3,976 per month in Scarborough and $1,546 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 $81.0 in Scarborough 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 $2,651 in Scarborough and $1,031 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 $1,031, than in Scarborough at $2,651. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Scarborough 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, Scarborough makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.