Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thunder Bay and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,169 in Thunder Bay, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Thunder Bay
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Thunder Bay Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Thunder Bay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,169

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,169 per month in Thunder Bay vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Thunder Bay $2,169
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $3,338 per month in Thunder Bay vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Thunder Bay $3,338
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $4,508 per month in Thunder Bay vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Thunder Bay $4,508
Medellin $3,199

Thunder Bay costs about 33% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Thunder Bay and Medellin sit above the global median – Thunder Bay by 60%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.63 CA$24.93

$8.30 COP 26.3K

112.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 CA$85.1

$46.91 COP 148.7K

28.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.62 CA$17.84

$9.24 COP 29.3K

36.58%

Cappuccino

$3.40 CA$4.81

$3.05 COP 9,676

11.48%

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

$1.86 CA$2.63

$1.80 COP 5,707

3.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.25

$1.38 COP 4,382

15.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.43 CA$7.68

$3.24 COP 10.3K

67.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.03 CA$7.12

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-9.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 CA$3.20

$1.50 COP 4,760

51.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.60

$2.37 COP 7,508

7.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.65

$1.70 COP 5,377

93.53%

Eggs

$3.59 CA$5.08

$2.96 COP 9,379

21.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.69 CA$23.59

$10.22 COP 32.4K

63.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.91 CA$22.50

$9.74 COP 30.9K

63.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.25 CA$22.98

$13.90 COP 44.1K

16.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 CA$4.71

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-19.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.53 COP 4,839

-20.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.54

$2.22 COP 7,052

76.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.48 CA$4.92

$2.27 COP 7,194

53.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 CA$3.53

$1.99 COP 6,311

25.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 CA$3.05

$1.67 COP 5,285

29.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$1.18 COP 3,742

146.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 CA$3.36

$1.24 COP 3,919

91.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.69 CA$15.11

$3.87 COP 12.3K

176.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.67 CA$12.26

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-37.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 CA$2.77

$1.66 COP 5,256

18.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 CA$4.14

$2.40 COP 7,615

21.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 CA$3.22

$1.24 COP 3,944

83.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.3 CA$90.9

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-17.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 CA$7.44

$1.28 COP 4,044

310.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 CA$2.94

$2.15 COP 6,803

-3.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.48 CA$50.2

$8.37 COP 26.5K

323.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.63

$1.35 COP 4,288

-14.07%

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

$28.0K CA$39.6K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-19.50%

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

$21.0K CA$29.7K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-39.50%

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

$159 CA$225

$167 COP 528.4K

-4.39%

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

$57.9 CA$81.8

$13.62 COP 43.2K

324.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.3 CA$112

$29.12 COP 92.3K

172.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.52 CA$41.73

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-34.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.06 CA$25.54

$17.18 COP 54.5K

5.12%

Cinema Ticket

$17.88 CA$25.27

$6.97 COP 22.1K

156.53%

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

$670 CA$947

$790 COP 2.5M

-15.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.7 CA$108

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-12.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.15 CA$49.69

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-39.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 CA$108

$139 COP 440.7K

-44.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 CA$184

$98.9 COP 313.5K

31.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 CA$1,488

$1,028 COP 3.3M

2.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$908 CA$1,283

$620 COP 2.0M

46.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,898 CA$2,683

$1,881 COP 6.0M

0.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,741 CA$2,461

$1,008 COP 3.2M

72.78%

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)

$3,027 CA$4,279

$663 COP 2.1M

356.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.58

10.94

-58.14%

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

Last update for Thunder Bay: 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

Thunder Bay

$908 41.9%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 31.7% $288

Groceries & Markets

Thunder Bay

$396 18.3%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 24.8% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thunder Bay

$296 13.7%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 29.4% $87

Eating Out

Thunder Bay

$271 12.5%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 36.9% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Thunder Bay

$143 6.6%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 20.5% $29

Getting Around

Thunder Bay

$89 4.1%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 6.9% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Thunder Bay

$65 3%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 9.6% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,053 in Thunder Bay 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 356% higher in Thunder Bay, 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 $60.0 in Thunder Bay versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $396 vs $298 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Thunder Bay

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

10:20 10:20 AM

09:20 9:20 AM

1 h behind Thunder Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

107,909

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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Thunder Bay Medellin 4,860 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Thunder Bay
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

Thunder Bay vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Thunder Bay is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,253 per month in Thunder Bay 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 $60.0 in Thunder Bay 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 $2,169 in Thunder Bay and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 33%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Thunder Bay at $2,169. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Thunder Bay 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, Thunder Bay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.