Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albay and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Albay: $729 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Albay
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Albay Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Albay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$729

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $729 in Albay versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Albay $729
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,108 in Albay versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Albay $1,108
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,487 in Albay versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Albay $1,487
Medellin $3,199

Living in Albay costs roughly 55% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Albay is 46% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.78 ₱241

$8.30 COP 26.1K

-54.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.81 ₱1,068

$46.91 COP 147.5K

-64.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.82 ₱179

$9.24 COP 29.1K

-69.48%

Cappuccino

$2.19 ₱139

$3.05 COP 9,596

-28.20%

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

$0.63 ₱39.98

$1.80 COP 5,659

-65.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.00

$1.38 COP 4,345

-76.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.12 ₱71.3

$3.24 COP 10.2K

-65.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱126

$5.56 COP 17.5K

-64.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ₱102

$1.50 COP 4,720

7.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 ₱71.3

$2.37 COP 7,445

-52.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ₱61.0

$1.70 COP 5,332

-43.53%

Eggs

$1.88 ₱119

$2.96 COP 9,301

-36.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.70 ₱362

$10.22 COP 32.1K

-44.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.21 ₱268

$9.74 COP 30.6K

-56.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.95 ₱442

$13.90 COP 43.7K

-50.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 ₱148

$4.13 COP 13.0K

-43.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₱99.1

$1.53 COP 4,799

1.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 ₱154

$2.22 COP 6,993

9.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ₱74.6

$2.27 COP 7,135

-48.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 ₱122

$1.99 COP 6,258

-3.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 ₱124

$1.67 COP 5,241

17.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ₱62.1

$1.18 COP 3,711

-16.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₱34.26

$1.24 COP 3,886

-56.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.90 ₱185

$3.87 COP 12.2K

-25.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.69 ₱488

$13.78 COP 43.3K

-44.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₱61.0

$1.66 COP 5,212

-42.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₱124

$2.40 COP 7,552

-18.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.10

$1.24 COP 3,911

-80.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.21 ₱713

$78.2 COP 245.9K

-85.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.89

$1.28 COP 4,011

-42.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.63

$2.15 COP 6,747

-89.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱123

$8.37 COP 26.3K

-76.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₱78.6

$1.35 COP 4,252

-8.15%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$34.8K COP 109.3M

-38.97%

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

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-45.45%

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

$124 ₱7,882

$167 COP 524.0K

-25.57%

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

$15.06 ₱957

$13.62 COP 42.8K

10.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.69 ₱1,569

$29.12 COP 91.6K

-15.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.74 ₱2,081

$45.09 COP 141.8K

-27.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.58 ₱291

$17.18 COP 54.0K

-73.34%

Cinema Ticket

$5.24 ₱333

$6.97 COP 21.9K

-24.82%

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

$131 ₱8,342

$790 COP 2.5M

-83.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,896 ₱501.8K

$9,041 COP 28.4M

-12.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.24 ₱2,113

$87.8 COP 276.1K

-62.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.61 ₱1,246

$58.2 COP 182.8K

-66.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.4 ₱4,474

$139 COP 437.0K

-49.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.3 ₱3,575

$98.9 COP 310.9K

-43.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 ₱16.6K

$1,028 COP 3.2M

-74.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 ₱10.8K

$620 COP 1.9M

-72.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$512 ₱32.5K

$1,881 COP 5.9M

-72.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 ₱22.3K

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-65.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,446 ₱155.4K

$3,988 COP 12.5M

-38.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$974 ₱61.9K

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-42.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$162 ₱10.3K

$663 COP 2.1M

-75.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

10.94

-37.93%

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

Last update for Albay: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Albay

$178 24.5%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 67% $119

Accommodation & Living

Albay

$170 23.3%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 264% $450

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Albay

$164 22.5%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 27.9% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Albay

$81 11.1%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 114% $92

Eating Out

Albay

$78 10.8%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 118% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Albay

$43 5.9%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 36.6% $16

Getting Around

Albay

$14 1.9%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 578% $81

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $261 in Albay and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 4.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $17 in Albay vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $178 vs $298 per month, with Albay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Albay

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

17:34 5:34 PM

04:34 4:34 AM

13 h behind Albay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

179,481

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 63.55 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.3 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 3,144 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,528 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Albay Medellin 16,980 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Albay
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

Albay vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Albay and Medellin differ by about 123% in total monthly costs ($729 vs $1,625 including rent). Albay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 76% lower in Albay. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $261 in Albay versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Albay – a meal for two runs $17 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $729 in Albay versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Albay but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Albay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Albay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.