Cost of Living Comparison Between Butuan and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Butuan and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $731 in Butuan versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,129 in Butuan versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,527 in Butuan versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Butuan costs roughly 28% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Butuan 45% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ₱272

$5.99 COP 21.4K

-26.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.09 ₱992

$32.86 COP 117.4K

-51.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.33 ₱144

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-67.14%

Cappuccino

$1.63 ₱100

$1.71 COP 6,115

-4.68%

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

$0.33 ₱20.25

$1.10 COP 3,924

-70.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.22

$0.78 COP 2,781

-60.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ₱71.8

$1.68 COP 5,997

-30.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ₱112

$3.07 COP 11.0K

-41.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ₱102

$1.09 COP 3,906

51.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 ₱63.8

$1.26 COP 4,508

-18.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱61.1

$1.38 COP 4,922

-28.26%

Eggs

$1.98 ₱122

$2.19 COP 7,827

-9.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.73 ₱353

$4.40 COP 15.7K

30.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.62 ₱223

$5.63 COP 20.1K

-35.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.37 ₱454

$8.89 COP 31.8K

-17.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 ₱85.1

$2.34 COP 8,349

-41.03%

Banana (1kg)

$0.55 ₱33.96

$1.06 COP 3,777

-48.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 ₱53.8

$1.50 COP 5,374

-42.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 ₱86.6

$1.38 COP 4,924

1.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 ₱136

$1.15 COP 4,111

91.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.19 ₱197

$1.16 COP 4,155

175.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 ₱85.3

$0.89 COP 3,182

55.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱32.27

$0.84 COP 2,997

-38.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 ₱150

$2.28 COP 8,145

7.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 ₱511

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-22.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₱44.55

$1.20 COP 4,284

-40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₱53.5

$2.47 COP 8,824

-64.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₱17.34

$0.86 COP 3,056

-67.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 ₱46.67

$1.47 COP 5,264

-48.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.46

$1.96 COP 7,009

-87.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 ₱132

$7.74 COP 27.6K

-72.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ₱70.2

$0.95 COP 3,409

20.00%

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

$22.3K ₱1.4M

$18.1K COP 64.7M

23.08%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-21.20%

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

$106 ₱6,539

$82.3 COP 293.7K

28.92%

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

$33.91 ₱2,091

$9.50 COP 33.9K

256.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.49 ₱2,188

$24.23 COP 86.5K

46.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.79 ₱2,084

$25.89 COP 92.4K

30.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.32 ₱266

$19.00 COP 67.9K

-77.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 ₱270

$3.93 COP 14.0K

11.45%

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

$72.1 ₱4,443

$309 COP 1.1M

-76.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,766 ₱108.9K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-70.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.95 ₱2,834

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-21.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$10.10 ₱623

$32.35 COP 115.5K

-68.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 ₱4,370

$103 COP 366.4K

-30.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.0 ₱4,191

$108 COP 387.2K

-37.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$262 ₱16.2K

$476 COP 1.7M

-44.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 ₱10.8K

$379 COP 1.4M

-53.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$591 ₱36.5K

$838 COP 3.0M

-29.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 ₱24.5K

$724 COP 2.6M

-45.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,749 ₱169.5K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-1.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,070 ₱66.0K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

-11.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

13.43

-28.82%

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

Last update for Butuan: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $262 in Butuan and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $16.00 in Butuan vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $188 per month, with Butuan cheaper across the board.

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

Butuan vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butuan wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Butuan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,097 in Butuan and $1,519 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: $262 in Butuan versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $72.1 in Butuan versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Butuan – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $731 in Butuan versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Butuan but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Butuan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Butuan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $731 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Butuan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Butuan and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Butuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.