Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bago and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Bago: $688 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Bago
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Bago Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Bago

🇵🇭 Philippines

$688

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $688 in Bago versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Bago $688
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,080 in Bago versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Bago $1,080
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,472 in Bago versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Bago $1,472
Medellin $3,186

Living in Bago costs roughly 58% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bago is 49% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ₱281

$8.09 COP 25.6K

-45.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.67 ₱1,000

$47.05 COP 149.0K

-66.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.86 ₱183

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-69.89%

Cappuccino

$2.35 ₱150

$3.01 COP 9,550

-21.93%

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

$0.69 ₱43.77

$1.80 COP 5,699

-61.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₱20.50

$1.41 COP 4,474

-77.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.26 ₱80.4

$3.18 COP 10.1K

-60.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ₱115

$5.75 COP 18.2K

-68.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₱101

$1.51 COP 4,783

5.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 ₱79.1

$2.38 COP 7,532

-47.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ₱58.9

$1.77 COP 5,611

-48.02%

Eggs

$1.72 ₱110

$2.89 COP 9,155

-40.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.11 ₱390

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-40.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.56 ₱291

$9.87 COP 31.3K

-53.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.00 ₱447

$13.99 COP 44.3K

-49.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 ₱172

$3.97 COP 12.6K

-31.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 ₱88.2

$1.55 COP 4,916

-10.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 ₱139

$2.18 COP 6,914

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 ₱71.6

$2.18 COP 6,917

-48.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 ₱114

$1.96 COP 6,217

-8.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 ₱131

$1.59 COP 5,034

28.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ₱72.7

$1.15 COP 3,628

-0.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱33.02

$1.24 COP 3,938

-58.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 ₱172

$3.96 COP 12.6K

-32.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.84 ₱437

$13.68 COP 43.3K

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₱64.7

$1.66 COP 5,257

-39.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₱107

$2.26 COP 7,152

-25.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₱12.67

$1.17 COP 3,699

-82.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.19 ₱778

$77.4 COP 245.1K

-84.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 ₱50.8

$1.27 COP 4,017

-37.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.43

$2.05 COP 6,486

-88.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 ₱115

$8.55 COP 27.1K

-79.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ₱85.6

$1.35 COP 4,266

-0.74%

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

$18.2K ₱1.2M

$34.1K COP 107.9M

-46.71%

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

$17.3K ₱1.1M

$34.7K COP 109.8M

-50.18%

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

$113 ₱7,192

$170 COP 537.4K

-33.60%

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

$14.33 ₱915

$13.55 COP 42.9K

5.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.00 ₱1,405

$28.07 COP 88.9K

-21.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.03 ₱1,790

$43.70 COP 138.4K

-35.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.61 ₱294

$17.19 COP 54.4K

-73.18%

Cinema Ticket

$5.27 ₱337

$6.91 COP 21.9K

-23.73%

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

$112 ₱7,165

$797 COP 2.5M

-85.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,644 ₱551.9K

$9,112 COP 28.9M

-5.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.74 ₱1,963

$84.7 COP 268.3K

-63.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.38 ₱1,110

$58.0 COP 183.6K

-70.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.6 ₱3,935

$135 COP 427.5K

-54.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,763

$97.9 COP 310.0K

-39.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$286 ₱18.3K

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-76.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$144 ₱9,182

$642 COP 2.0M

-77.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$553 ₱35.3K

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-72.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ₱22.8K

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-64.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,770 ₱176.9K

$4,170 COP 13.2M

-33.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$968 ₱61.8K

$1,910 COP 6.1M

-49.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

10.94

-36.75%

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

Last update for Bago: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bago

$179 26.1%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 65.5% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bago

$149 21.7%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 41.8% $62

Accommodation & Living

Bago

$144 20.9%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 346% $498

Eating Out

Bago

$86 12.5%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 97.4% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Bago

$76 11%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 123% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Bago

$39 5.6%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 49.1% $19

Getting Around

Bago

$15 2.2%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 524% $79

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $286 in Bago and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $16 in Bago vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $297 per month, with Bago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Bago

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

09:16 9:16 AM

20:16 8:16 PM

13 h behind Bago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

191,210

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.16 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 30, 2026: 1 USD = 63.85 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.15 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 3,167 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,530 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bago Medellin 17,250 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Bago
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

Bago vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bago is about 58% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,031 in Bago and $2,459 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $286 in Bago versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $112 in Bago versus $797 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $688 in Bago versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bago but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bago 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 Bago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.