Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bacolod and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacolod: $607 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Bacolod
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Bacolod Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Bacolod

🇵🇭 Philippines

$607

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $607 per month in Bacolod vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Bacolod $607
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $885 per month in Bacolod vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Bacolod $885
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $1,162 per month in Bacolod vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Bacolod $1,162
Medellin $3,190

Bacolod is about 62% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Bacolod sits 55% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.34 ₱147

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-70.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.87 ₱810

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-72.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.03 ₱254

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-57.58%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ₱155

$3.11 COP 9,866

-20.90%

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

$0.70 ₱43.96

$1.83 COP 5,800

-61.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ₱23.61

$1.38 COP 4,360

-72.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 ₱86.3

$3.05 COP 9,672

-55.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 ₱112

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-67.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ₱101

$1.45 COP 4,600

11.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 ₱73.2

$2.36 COP 7,496

-50.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₱60.0

$1.68 COP 5,328

-43.45%

Eggs

$1.66 ₱105

$2.86 COP 9,077

-41.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 ₱561

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-12.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.95 ₱437

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-27.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 ₱212

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-17.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 ₱152

$1.50 COP 4,742

61.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 ₱33.60

$2.31 COP 7,310

-77.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.64 COP 5,196

21.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ₱64.8

$1.25 COP 3,954

-17.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.77 ₱175

$3.99 COP 12.6K

-30.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ₱57.4

$1.70 COP 5,384

-46.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₱11.18

$1.21 COP 3,827

-85.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 ₱38.66

$1.32 COP 4,179

-53.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱80.5

$1.30 COP 4,114

-1.54%

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

$22.1K ₱1.4M

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-21.19%

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

$24.0K ₱1.5M

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-32.24%

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

$137 ₱8,646

$172 COP 545.6K

-20.20%

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

$7.99 ₱503

$13.37 COP 42.4K

-40.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.20 ₱1,776

$28.73 COP 91.1K

-1.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.87 ₱999

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-64.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.44 ₱153

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-85.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.37 ₱275

$6.28 COP 19.9K

-30.41%

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

$31.23 ₱1,966

$770 COP 2.4M

-95.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$267 ₱16.8K

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-74.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 ₱11.2K

$616 COP 2.0M

-71.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 ₱29.9K

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-74.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 ₱21.8K

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-66.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$206 ₱13.0K

$652 COP 2.1M

-68.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Bacolod: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bacolod

$178 29.4%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 245% $437

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bacolod

$174 28.6%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 23.4% $41

Groceries & Markets

Bacolod

$155 * 25.5%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 90.6% $140

Eating Out

Bacolod

$75 12.4%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 125% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Bacolod

$25 4.1%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 135% $33

Getting Around

Bacolod

$1.3 * 0.2%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 6970% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Bacolod

- * 0%

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $267 in Bacolod versus $1,055 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 217% higher in Medellin, 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 $13.00 in Bacolod versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $155 vs $295 – making Bacolod the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Bacolod

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

04:36 4:36 AM

15:36 3:36 PM

13 h behind Bacolod

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

561,875

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 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 PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bacolod Medellin 17,230 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Bacolod
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

Bacolod vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $607 in Bacolod, $1,614 in Medellin – roughly 166% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $911 per month in Bacolod and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacolod, 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 $13.00 in Bacolod and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 91% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bacolod, where all-in costs run around $607, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Bacolod it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Bacolod has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $607 in Bacolod to $1,614 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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