Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St.Catharines and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,309 in St.Catharines, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in St.Catharines
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St.Catharines Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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St.Catharines

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,309

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in St.Catharines 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 St.Catharines and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,309 per month in St.Catharines vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

St.Catharines $2,309
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $3,210 per month in St.Catharines vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

St.Catharines $3,210
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $4,111 per month in St.Catharines vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

St.Catharines $4,111
Medellin $3,199

St.Catharines costs about 42% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both St.Catharines and Medellin sit above the global median – St.Catharines by 70%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.32 CA$20.24

$8.30 COP 26.3K

72.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 CA$81.5

$46.91 COP 148.7K

22.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.63 CA$17.86

$9.24 COP 29.3K

36.69%

Cappuccino

$3.03 CA$4.29

$3.05 COP 9,676

-0.66%

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

$1.65 CA$2.34

$1.80 COP 5,707

-8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.27

$1.38 COP 4,382

15.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.65 CA$6.58

$3.24 COP 10.3K

43.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 CA$6.52

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-17.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 CA$2.96

$1.50 COP 4,760

39.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 CA$3.08

$2.37 COP 7,508

-8.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.60 CA$6.50

$1.70 COP 5,377

170.59%

Eggs

$4.28 CA$6.06

$2.96 COP 9,379

44.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.90 CA$21.06

$10.22 COP 32.4K

45.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.22 CA$15.86

$9.74 COP 30.9K

15.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 CA$19.85

$13.90 COP 44.1K

1.01%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 CA$7.34

$4.13 COP 13.1K

25.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 CA$1.57

$1.53 COP 4,839

-27.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 CA$6.17

$2.22 COP 7,052

96.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 CA$5.85

$2.27 COP 7,194

82.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 CA$3.99

$1.99 COP 6,311

41.71%

Onion (1kg)

$4.39 CA$6.20

$1.67 COP 5,285

162.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.67

$1.18 COP 3,742

120.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 CA$1.83

$1.24 COP 3,919

4.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.73 CA$19.41

$3.87 COP 12.3K

254.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 CA$17.88

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-8.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 CA$4.24

$1.66 COP 5,256

80.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 CA$4.28

$2.40 COP 7,615

25.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 CA$3.48

$1.24 COP 3,944

98.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.9 CA$100

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-9.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 CA$4.07

$1.28 COP 4,044

125.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$2.15 COP 6,803

3.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.28 CA$31.50

$8.37 COP 26.5K

166.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.63

$1.35 COP 4,288

-14.81%

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

$26.4K CA$37.4K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-23.99%

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

$22.0K CA$31.1K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-36.62%

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

$178 CA$251

$167 COP 528.4K

6.74%

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

$33.39 CA$47.21

$13.62 COP 43.2K

145.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.75 CA$67.5

$29.12 COP 92.3K

63.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.41 CA$44.41

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-30.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.10 CA$58.1

$17.18 COP 54.5K

139.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.04 CA$15.60

$6.97 COP 22.1K

58.39%

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

$504 CA$713

$790 COP 2.5M

-36.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.6K CA$39.0K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

205.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.6 CA$104

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-16.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.2 CA$73.8

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-10.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 CA$113

$139 COP 440.7K

-42.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 CA$108

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-22.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 CA$1,710

$1,028 COP 3.3M

17.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,159 CA$1,638

$620 COP 2.0M

87.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 CA$2,413

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-9.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,557 CA$2,201

$1,008 COP 3.2M

54.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,026 CA$4,277

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-24.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,705 CA$3,824

$1,702 COP 5.4M

58.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,969 CA$4,198

$663 COP 2.1M

347.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.71

10.94

-47.81%

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

Last update for St.Catharines: October 17, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

St.Catharines

$1.2K 50.2%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 46.5% $539

Groceries & Markets

St.Catharines

$381 16.5%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 21.9% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St.Catharines

$259 11.2%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 19.2% $50

Eating Out

St.Catharines

$234 10.2%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 27.1% $64

Clothing & Footwear

St.Catharines

$127 5.5%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 35.8% $46

Getting Around

St.Catharines

$95 4.1%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 0.5% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

St.Catharines

$53 2.3%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 10.4% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,210 in St.Catharines versus $1,028 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 348% higher in St.Catharines, 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 $58.0 in St.Catharines versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $381 vs $298 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 St.Catharines

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

20:17 8:17 PM

19:17 7:17 PM

1 h behind St.Catharines

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

133,113

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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St.Catharines Medellin 4,120 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

St.Catharines
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

St.Catharines vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – St.Catharines is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,464 per month in St.Catharines and $2,437 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 $58.0 in St.Catharines and $47.00 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 $2,309 in St.Catharines and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 42%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in St.Catharines at $2,309. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in St.Catharines 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, St.Catharines makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.