Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney, NS and Medellin

For one person, living costs are similar in Sydney, NS and in Medellin: $1,614 and $1,625 a month, rent and utilities included.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sydney, NS
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Sydney, NS Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Sydney, NS

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,614

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Sydney, NS vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Sydney, NS $1,614
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $2,535 per month in Sydney, NS vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Sydney, NS $2,535
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $3,456 per month in Sydney, NS vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Sydney, NS $3,456
Medellin $3,199

Sydney, NS is about 1% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Sydney, NS and Medellin sit above the global median – Sydney, NS by 19%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.13 CA$15.74

$8.30 COP 26.3K

34.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 CA$88.0

$46.91 COP 148.7K

32.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.16 CA$10.12

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-22.51%

Cappuccino

$2.87 CA$4.06

$3.05 COP 9,676

-5.90%

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

$2.33 CA$3.30

$1.80 COP 5,707

29.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 CA$2.92

$1.38 COP 4,382

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CA$3.04

$1.50 COP 4,760

43.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 CA$3.61

$2.37 COP 7,508

8.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 CA$3.41

$1.70 COP 5,377

41.76%

Eggs

$3.32 CA$4.69

$2.96 COP 9,379

12.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.27 CA$8.87

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-38.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 CA$11.63

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-15.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 CA$18.36

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-6.55%

Apples (1kg)

$7.01 CA$9.91

$4.13 COP 13.1K

69.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 CA$1.63

$1.53 COP 4,839

-24.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.95

$2.27 COP 7,194

-39.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 CA$1.18

$1.99 COP 6,311

-57.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.68

$1.67 COP 5,285

13.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$6.30 CA$8.90

$1.18 COP 3,742

433.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.78 CA$25.14

$3.87 COP 12.3K

359.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 CA$5.92

$2.40 COP 7,615

74.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 CA$1.53

$1.24 COP 3,944

-12.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.48 CA$68.5

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-38.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.15 CA$5.87

$1.28 COP 4,044

224.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 CA$1.70

$1.35 COP 4,288

-11.11%

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

$25.7K CA$36.4K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-25.94%

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

$19.1K CA$27.1K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-44.79%

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

$86.3 CA$122

$167 COP 528.4K

-48.22%

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

$36.04 CA$51.0

$13.62 COP 43.2K

164.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.3 CA$104

$29.12 COP 92.3K

151.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.94 CA$70.6

$45.09 COP 143.0K

10.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.45 CA$4.88

$17.18 COP 54.5K

-79.92%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 CA$9.96

$6.97 COP 22.1K

1.00%

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

$721 CA$1,020

$790 COP 2.5M

-8.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.1 CA$96.3

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-22.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.2 CA$95.1

$58.2 COP 184.4K

15.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 CA$141

$139 COP 440.7K

-28.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CA$148

$98.9 COP 313.5K

6.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$893 CA$1,262

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-13.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 CA$1,024

$620 COP 2.0M

16.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,753 CA$2,479

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-6.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,374 CA$1,943

$1,008 COP 3.2M

36.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,527 CA$3,573

$663 COP 2.1M

280.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.8

10.94

-46.98%

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

Last update for Sydney, NS: 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

Sydney, NS

$724 44.9%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 14.5% $105

Groceries & Markets

Sydney, NS

$258 * 16%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 15.6% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney, NS

$196 12.1%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 7% $14

Eating Out

Sydney, NS

$163 * 10.1%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 5% $8.2

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney, NS

$153 9.5%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 12.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney, NS

$64 4%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 7.8% $5

Getting Around

Sydney, NS

$57 * 3.5%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 67.1% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $893 in Sydney, NS 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 281% higher in Sydney, NS, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Sydney, NS versus $47.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Sydney, NS vs $298 in Medellin – so Sydney, NS wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Sydney, NS

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

23:20 11:20 PM

21:20 9:20 PM

2 h behind Sydney, NS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,960

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Sydney, NS Medellin 4,670 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sydney, NS
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

Sydney, NS vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Sydney, NS 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 Sydney, NS, 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 $62.0 in Sydney, NS 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 $1,614 in Sydney, NS and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 1%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sydney, NS, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Sydney, NS it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sydney, NS – 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 Sydney, NS. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.