Cost of Living Comparison Between Yellowknife and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Yellowknife and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,960 per month in Yellowknife vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,236 per month in Yellowknife vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,511 per month in Yellowknife vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Yellowknife costs about 192% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Yellowknife sits 121% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.77 CA$23.22

$5.99 COP 21.4K

179.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.9 CA$120

$32.86 COP 117.4K

164.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.64 CA$10.58

$7.09 COP 25.3K

7.76%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.30

$1.71 COP 6,115

123.98%

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

$2.63 CA$3.64

$1.10 COP 3,924

139.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 CA$2.92

$0.78 COP 2,781

170.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 CA$8.42

$1.68 COP 5,997

261.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.22 CA$10.00

$3.07 COP 11.0K

135.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.52 CA$3.49

$1.09 COP 3,906

131.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.71

$1.26 COP 4,508

112.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.76 CA$6.59

$1.38 COP 4,922

244.93%

Eggs

$3.36 CA$4.65

$2.19 COP 7,827

53.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 CA$10.11

$4.40 COP 15.7K

65.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.83 CA$23.30

$5.63 COP 20.1K

198.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.36 CA$22.66

$8.89 COP 31.8K

84.03%

Apples (1kg)

$5.05 CA$6.99

$2.34 COP 8,349

115.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 CA$2.13

$1.06 COP 3,777

44.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.56 CA$7.70

$1.50 COP 5,374

270.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.71 CA$10.68

$1.38 COP 4,924

458.70%

Potato (1kg)

$4.76 CA$6.58

$1.15 COP 4,111

313.91%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.19

$1.16 COP 4,155

223.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.63 CA$5.03

$0.89 COP 3,182

307.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 CA$1.59

$0.84 COP 2,997

36.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.61 CA$24.38

$2.28 COP 8,145

672.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 CA$19.82

$10.64 COP 38.0K

34.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.40 CA$6.09

$1.20 COP 4,284

266.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 CA$8.97

$2.47 COP 8,824

162.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 CA$3.11

$0.86 COP 3,056

160.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 CA$77.9

$41.40 COP 147.9K

35.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 CA$4.46

$1.47 COP 5,264

119.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 CA$1.93

$1.96 COP 7,009

-29.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.28 CA$35.00

$7.74 COP 27.6K

226.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.69

$0.95 COP 3,409

28.42%

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

$25.2K CA$34.8K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

38.80%

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

$20.7K CA$28.7K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-21.71%

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

$395 CA$547

$82.3 COP 293.7K

380.01%

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

$60.3 CA$83.5

$9.50 COP 33.9K

534.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$110 CA$152

$24.23 COP 86.5K

352.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 CA$103

$25.89 COP 92.4K

188.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

Cinema Ticket

$10.37 CA$14.36

$3.93 COP 14.0K

163.87%

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

$629 CA$871

$309 COP 1.1M

103.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K CA$16.4K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

98.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.5 CA$92.1

$58.7 COP 209.5K

13.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.52 CA$52.0

$32.35 COP 115.5K

15.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 CA$145

$103 COP 366.4K

2.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 CA$165

$108 COP 387.2K

9.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 CA$2,080

$476 COP 1.7M

215.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 CA$1,975

$379 COP 1.4M

276.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,457 CA$3,401

$838 COP 3.0M

193.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,167 CA$3,000

$724 COP 2.6M

199.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,158 CA$4,373

$2,791 COP 10.0M

13.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,906 CA$4,024

$1,211 COP 4.3M

139.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,098 CA$5,674

$512 COP 1.8M

700.76%

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 Yellowknife: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,503 in Yellowknife versus $476 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 701% higher in Yellowknife, 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 $87.0 in Yellowknife versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $188 – 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

Yellowknife vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Yellowknife is pricier by about 192%, 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 $4,440 per month in Yellowknife and $1,519 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 $87.0 in Yellowknife 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 $2,960 in Yellowknife and $1,013 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 $1,013, than in Yellowknife at $2,960. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yellowknife 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, Yellowknife makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.