Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Squamish, BC and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,634 in Squamish, BC, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Squamish, BC
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Squamish, BC Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Squamish, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,634

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Squamish, BC and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Squamish, BC and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,634 per month in Squamish, BC vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Squamish, BC $2,634
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $3,904 per month in Squamish, BC vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Squamish, BC $3,904
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $5,175 per month in Squamish, BC vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Squamish, BC $5,175
Medellin $3,190

Squamish, BC costs about 63% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Squamish, BC and Medellin sit above the global median – Squamish, BC by 95%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 CA$23.02

$7.93 COP 25.2K

104.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.77 CA$69.3

$46.13 COP 146.7K

5.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.01 CA$14.23

$9.50 COP 30.2K

5.37%

Cappuccino

$3.94 CA$5.60

$3.11 COP 9,897

26.69%

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

$1.79 CA$2.54

$1.83 COP 5,818

-2.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 CA$2.09

$1.38 COP 4,374

6.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 CA$7.92

$3.05 COP 9,702

82.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 CA$8.00

$5.50 COP 17.5K

2.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 CA$2.50

$1.45 COP 4,614

21.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 CA$2.99

$2.36 COP 7,519

-11.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.92

$1.68 COP 5,345

105.95%

Eggs

$3.08 CA$4.39

$2.86 COP 9,106

7.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.38 CA$17.60

$10.19 COP 32.4K

21.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.93 CA$21.23

$9.53 COP 30.3K

56.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 CA$27.24

$14.04 COP 44.7K

36.47%

Apples (1kg)

$5.31 CA$7.55

$4.07 COP 12.9K

30.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 CA$1.65

$1.50 COP 4,757

-22.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.90 CA$6.97

$2.17 COP 6,913

125.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.93

$2.31 COP 7,333

50.22%

Potato (1kg)

$4.16 CA$5.91

$1.93 COP 6,132

115.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 CA$3.51

$1.64 COP 5,212

50.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.49

$1.13 COP 3,582

117.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$1.25 COP 3,966

48.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.86 CA$21.12

$3.99 COP 12.7K

272.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.58 CA$15.04

$13.35 COP 42.5K

-20.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 CA$4.03

$1.70 COP 5,400

66.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 CA$5.01

$2.37 COP 7,549

48.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 CA$2.03

$1.21 COP 3,839

18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.87 CA$42.46

$76.5 COP 243.3K

-60.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 CA$5.12

$1.32 COP 4,193

172.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.96

$2.14 COP 6,795

-35.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.89 CA$35.38

$8.47 COP 26.9K

193.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 CA$1.61

$1.30 COP 4,127

-13.08%

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

$26.2K CA$37.2K

$28.0K COP 89.0M

-6.55%

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

$18.6K CA$26.4K

$35.4K COP 112.6M

-47.50%

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

$116 CA$166

$172 COP 547.3K

-32.33%

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

$42.93 CA$61.0

$13.37 COP 42.5K

221.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.6 CA$89.0

$28.73 COP 91.4K

117.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CA$72.6

$45.24 COP 143.9K

12.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.2K

Cinema Ticket

$11.42 CA$16.24

$6.28 COP 20.0K

81.85%

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

$1,084 CA$1,541

$770 COP 2.4M

40.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,273 CA$11.8K

$9,011 COP 28.7M

-8.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 CA$73.2

$86.4 COP 274.8K

-40.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.42 CA$57.5

$57.1 COP 181.7K

-29.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 CA$113

$137 COP 434.3K

-41.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.9 CA$135

$97.9 COP 311.4K

-3.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 CA$2,225

$1,055 COP 3.4M

48.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 CA$2,157

$616 COP 2.0M

146.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,188 CA$4,532

$1,892 COP 6.0M

68.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,719 CA$3,865

$1,023 COP 3.3M

165.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,931 CA$8,433

$4,059 COP 12.9M

46.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,077 CA$4,376

$652 COP 2.1M

371.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

10.94

-56.86%

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

Last update for Squamish, BC: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Squamish, BC

$1.5K 57.6%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 59.4% $901

Groceries & Markets

Squamish, BC

$396 15.1%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 25.7% $102

Eating Out

Squamish, BC

$259 9.8%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 35% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Squamish, BC

$222 8.4%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 3.5% $7.8

Clothing & Footwear

Squamish, BC

$120 4.5%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 42.1% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Squamish, BC

$74 2.8%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 21.7% $16

Getting Around

Squamish, BC

$46 1.8%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 103% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,565 in Squamish, BC versus $1,055 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 372% higher in Squamish, BC, 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 $49.00 in Squamish, BC versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $396 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Squamish, BC

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

14:46 2:46 PM

16:46 4:46 PM

2 h ahead of Squamish, BC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,512

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,561 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Squamish, BC Medellin 6,540 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Squamish, BC
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Squamish, BC vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Squamish, BC is pricier by about 63%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,951 per month in Squamish, BC and $2,421 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 $49.00 in Squamish, BC and $46.00 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 $2,634 in Squamish, BC and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 63%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Squamish, BC at $2,634. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Squamish, BC 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, Squamish, BC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.