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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,549 per month in Scarborough vs $1,681 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,496 per month in Scarborough vs $2,445 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,443 per month in Scarborough vs $3,210 in Medellin, rent included.

Scarborough costs about 52% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Scarborough and Medellin sit above the global median – Scarborough by 86%, Medellin by 23%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.54 CA$24.54

$8.02 COP 25.0K

118.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.7 CA$100

$47.87 COP 149.4K

49.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 CA$15.18

$9.89 COP 30.8K

9.71%

Cappuccino

$4.09 CA$5.72

$3.13 COP 9,767

30.67%

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

$2.10 CA$2.94

$1.91 COP 5,954

9.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 CA$1.97

$1.51 COP 4,712

-6.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 CA$9.01

$3.12 COP 9,747

106.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.01 CA$9.81

$5.75 COP 17.9K

21.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.78 CA$3.88

$1.44 COP 4,509

93.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 CA$3.68

$2.49 COP 7,759

5.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 CA$3.63

$1.77 COP 5,535

46.33%

Eggs

$3.85 CA$5.39

$2.96 COP 9,235

30.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 CA$14.08

$10.07 COP 31.4K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.16 CA$15.62

$10.12 COP 31.6K

10.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.51 CA$18.90

$14.30 COP 44.6K

-5.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 CA$4.91

$4.14 COP 12.9K

-15.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 CA$1.69

$1.61 COP 5,019

-25.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.77

$2.25 COP 7,007

51.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.74

$2.25 COP 7,028

82.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.59

$2.04 COP 6,375

-9.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 CA$2.15

$1.54 COP 4,790

-0.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.30

$1.17 COP 3,651

101.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CA$2.09

$1.31 COP 4,077

13.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.61 CA$20.44

$3.90 COP 12.2K

274.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.78 CA$17.88

$14.01 COP 43.7K

-8.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$1.74 COP 5,439

28.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 CA$3.55

$2.87 COP 8,956

-11.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 CA$3.37

$1.22 COP 3,792

97.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 CA$153

$80.5 COP 251.1K

35.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 CA$4.22

$1.31 COP 4,084

130.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 CA$1.78

$2.19 COP 6,825

-42.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.04 CA$30.83

$8.71 COP 27.2K

153.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$1.37 COP 4,260

-10.95%

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

$26.9K CA$37.6K

$27.8K COP 86.9M

-3.43%

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

$20.7K CA$28.9K

$35.8K COP 111.6M

-42.23%

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

$145 CA$202

$177 COP 553.2K

-18.48%

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

$36.27 CA$50.7

$13.88 COP 43.3K

161.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.71 CA$68.1

$29.72 COP 92.8K

63.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.49 CA$49.64

$44.88 COP 140.1K

-20.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.78 CA$50.1

$17.12 COP 53.4K

109.00%

Cinema Ticket

$13.01 CA$18.20

$6.65 COP 20.7K

95.64%

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

$788 CA$1,103

$813 COP 2.5M

-3.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CA$15.1K

$9,187 COP 28.7M

17.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 CA$75.4

$89.5 COP 279.3K

-39.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.60 CA$58.2

$59.0 COP 184.0K

-29.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 CA$120

$138 COP 431.2K

-37.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$148

$102 COP 318.7K

3.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 CA$2,423

$1,062 COP 3.3M

63.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,374 CA$1,922

$663 COP 2.1M

107.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,128 CA$2,977

$1,888 COP 5.9M

12.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,771 CA$2,478

$1,027 COP 3.2M

72.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,645 CA$10.7K

$4,183 COP 13.1M

82.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,108 CA$8,545

$1,675 COP 5.2M

264.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,020 CA$4,225

$678 COP 2.1M

345.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

10.94

-58.78%

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

Last update for Scarborough: September 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,732 in Scarborough versus $1,062 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 346% 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 $72.0 in Scarborough versus $48.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $305 – 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 52%, 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 $3,823 per month in Scarborough and $2,521 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 Scarborough and $48.00 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 $2,549 in Scarborough and $1,681 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,681, than in Scarborough at $2,549. 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.