Cost of Living Comparison Between Thompson and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Thompson and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,847 per month in Thompson vs $1,014 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,781 per month in Thompson vs $1,596 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,716 per month in Thompson vs $2,178 in Medellin, rent included.

Thompson costs about 82% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Thompson sits 37% above the global median, while Medellin is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.61 CA$22.76

$6.14 COP 22.1K

170.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 CA$97.7

$33.05 COP 119.0K

115.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 CA$15.42

$7.32 COP 26.4K

53.69%

Cappuccino

$3.88 CA$5.32

$1.66 COP 5,973

133.73%

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

$1.98 CA$2.71

$1.10 COP 3,978

80.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.34

$0.78 COP 2,816

119.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.60

$1.71 COP 6,174

223.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 CA$8.28

$3.17 COP 11.4K

90.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 CA$2.89

$1.11 COP 4,003

90.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.67

$1.31 COP 4,709

104.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 CA$4.85

$1.38 COP 4,969

156.52%

Eggs

$3.36 CA$4.61

$2.22 COP 7,992

51.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 CA$15.52

$4.34 COP 15.6K

161.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.96 CA$16.38

$5.80 COP 20.9K

106.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.48 CA$19.84

$8.98 COP 32.3K

61.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.48

$2.26 COP 8,146

76.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 CA$1.93

$1.11 COP 4,014

27.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 CA$4.90

$1.46 COP 5,273

145.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.12

$1.37 COP 4,918

172.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 CA$3.39

$1.11 COP 4,000

122.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 CA$3.51

$1.16 COP 4,190

120.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.56

$0.89 COP 3,204

192.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 CA$2.45

$0.87 COP 3,117

105.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.86 CA$18.98

$2.35 COP 8,476

489.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.08 CA$17.92

$10.86 COP 39.1K

20.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 CA$3.98

$1.20 COP 4,321

141.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.25

$2.48 COP 8,927

25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.34

$0.79 COP 2,836

208.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.9 CA$86.2

$40.77 COP 146.8K

54.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 CA$4.31

$1.42 COP 5,125

121.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.03

$1.91 COP 6,885

-22.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.65 CA$35.13

$7.65 COP 27.6K

235.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.61

$0.97 COP 3,482

21.65%

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

$24.8K CA$34.0K

$18.1K COP 65.2M

37.30%

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

$20.5K CA$28.0K

$26.3K COP 94.8M

-22.22%

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

$143 CA$196

$81.3 COP 292.9K

76.28%

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

$43.17 CA$59.1

$9.63 COP 34.7K

348.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.4 CA$86.8

$24.36 COP 87.8K

160.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.30 CA$56.6

$26.02 COP 93.7K

58.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 COP 68.1K

Cinema Ticket

$11.24 CA$15.39

$3.89 COP 14.0K

188.95%

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

$749 CA$1,026

$304 COP 1.1M

146.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K CA$16.1K

$5,902 COP 21.3M

98.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 CA$75.4

$58.7 COP 211.4K

-6.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.03 CA$53.5

$32.48 COP 117.0K

20.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 CA$117

$102 COP 366.5K

-16.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CA$144

$108 COP 389.6K

-2.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 CA$952

$474 COP 1.7M

46.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 CA$971

$371 COP 1.3M

91.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 CA$1,589

$848 COP 3.1M

36.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 CA$1,563

$716 COP 2.6M

59.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,455 CA$6,103

$2,871 COP 10.3M

55.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,442 CA$4,715

$1,375 COP 5.0M

150.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,591 CA$2,180

$542 COP 2.0M

193.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

13.43

-51.90%

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

Last update for Thompson: April 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $695 in Thompson versus $474 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 194% higher in Thompson, 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 $71 in Thompson versus $33 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $366 vs $190 – 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

Thompson vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Thompson is pricier by about 82%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,770 per month in Thompson and $1,522 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 $71.0 in Thompson 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 $1,847 in Thompson and $1,014 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 $1,014, than in Thompson at $1,847. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Thompson 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, Thompson makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.