Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,589 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,589

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,589 per month in Toronto vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Toronto $2,589
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $3,710 per month in Toronto vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Toronto $3,710
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $4,831 per month in Toronto vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Toronto $4,831
Medellin $3,186

Toronto costs about 58% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Toronto and Medellin sit above the global median – Toronto by 90%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.60 CA$24.59

$8.09 COP 26.1K

117.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.8 CA$109

$47.05 COP 151.7K

65.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.79

$9.50 COP 30.6K

11.47%

Cappuccino

$4.16 CA$5.81

$3.01 COP 9,722

38.21%

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

$2.04 CA$2.86

$1.80 COP 5,801

13.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.45

$1.41 COP 4,554

24.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.58 CA$9.19

$3.18 COP 10.2K

106.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 CA$9.94

$5.75 COP 18.5K

23.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.53 CA$3.54

$1.51 COP 4,869

67.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 CA$3.78

$2.38 COP 7,667

13.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.13

$1.77 COP 5,712

26.55%

Eggs

$3.48 CA$4.87

$2.89 COP 9,320

20.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.38 CA$13.10

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-7.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.60 CA$16.21

$9.87 COP 31.8K

17.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.68 CA$20.52

$13.99 COP 45.1K

4.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.23

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-5.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$1.55 COP 5,005

-21.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 CA$4.86

$2.18 COP 7,039

59.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.32 CA$6.04

$2.18 COP 7,041

98.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.59

$1.96 COP 6,328

-5.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 CA$2.36

$1.59 COP 5,125

6.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$1.15 COP 3,694

93.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CA$1.78

$1.24 COP 4,009

3.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.04 CA$19.62

$3.96 COP 12.8K

254.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.43 CA$20.16

$13.68 COP 44.1K

5.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 CA$3.01

$1.66 COP 5,352

30.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.53

$2.26 COP 7,281

11.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 CA$3.31

$1.17 COP 3,766

102.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$157

$77.4 COP 249.5K

45.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 CA$4.25

$1.27 COP 4,089

139.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 CA$1.73

$2.05 COP 6,603

-39.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.55 CA$31.51

$8.55 COP 27.6K

163.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.74

$1.35 COP 4,343

-8.15%

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

$26.9K CA$37.6K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-21.03%

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

$21.4K CA$29.9K

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-38.31%

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

$125 CA$174

$170 COP 547.0K

-26.53%

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

$33.05 CA$46.19

$13.55 COP 43.7K

143.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.96 CA$67.0

$28.07 COP 90.5K

70.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.69 CA$51.3

$43.70 COP 140.9K

-16.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.67 CA$33.07

$17.19 COP 55.4K

37.70%

Cinema Ticket

$13.08 CA$18.27

$6.91 COP 22.3K

89.29%

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

$759 CA$1,060

$797 COP 2.6M

-4.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K CA$33.2K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

161.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 CA$74.8

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-36.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.44 CA$56.5

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-30.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 CA$140

$135 COP 435.2K

-25.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 CA$175

$97.9 COP 315.6K

27.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 CA$2,277

$1,208 COP 3.9M

34.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 CA$1,978

$642 COP 2.1M

120.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,694 CA$3,765

$2,028 COP 6.5M

32.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,101 CA$2,936

$1,012 COP 3.3M

107.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,551 CA$10.6K

$4,170 COP 13.4M

81.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,674 CA$9,325

$1,910 COP 6.2M

249.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 CA$4,951

$657 COP 2.1M

439.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.45

10.94

-59.32%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 54.7%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 54.7% $774

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$345 13.3%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 13.9% $48

Eating Out

Toronto

$285 11%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 40.4% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$206 7.9%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 2.7% $5.6

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$144 5.6%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 17.5% $25

Getting Around

Toronto

$131 5.1%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 28.7% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$63 2.4%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 8.5% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,630 in Toronto versus $1,208 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 in Toronto are about 5.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Toronto versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

11:50 11:50 AM

Same time as Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Toronto Medellin 4,170 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
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

Toronto vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Toronto is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,883 per month in Toronto and $2,459 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,630 in Toronto.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Toronto and $47 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 $2,589 in Toronto and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 37% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,639, than in Toronto at $2,589. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toronto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $2,589 in Toronto. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Toronto makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.