Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caloocan and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Caloocan: $496 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Caloocan
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Caloocan Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Caloocan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$496

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $496 per month in Caloocan vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Caloocan $496
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $665 per month in Caloocan vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Caloocan $665
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $834 per month in Caloocan vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Caloocan $834
Medellin $3,186

Caloocan is about 70% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Caloocan sits 64% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.70 ₱172

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-66.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.45 ₱1,048

$47.05 COP 151.7K

-65.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.26 ₱144

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-76.21%

Cappuccino

$0.84 ₱53.3

$3.01 COP 9,722

-72.09%

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

$0.39 ₱25.07

$1.80 COP 5,801

-78.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₱20.70

$1.41 COP 4,554

-77.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₱64.3

$3.18 COP 10.2K

-68.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₱101

$5.75 COP 18.5K

-72.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ₱105

$1.51 COP 4,869

9.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₱70.7

$2.38 COP 7,667

-53.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱63.1

$1.77 COP 5,712

-44.07%

Eggs

$1.79 ₱114

$2.89 COP 9,320

-38.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.93 ₱314

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-51.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.32 ₱212

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-66.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.69 ₱490

$13.99 COP 45.1K

-45.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 ₱142

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-43.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.5

$1.55 COP 5,005

-37.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱149

$2.18 COP 7,039

7.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 ₱66.6

$2.18 COP 7,041

-52.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.8

$1.96 COP 6,328

-45.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 ₱113

$1.59 COP 5,125

11.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.39

$1.15 COP 3,694

-43.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₱29.15

$1.24 COP 4,009

-62.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ₱180

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-28.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.82 ₱307

$13.68 COP 44.1K

-64.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₱61.2

$1.66 COP 5,352

-42.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₱129

$2.26 COP 7,281

-10.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₱12.69

$1.17 COP 3,766

-82.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱49.01

$1.27 COP 4,089

-39.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.97

$2.05 COP 6,603

-89.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱118

$8.55 COP 27.6K

-78.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₱68.0

$1.35 COP 4,343

-20.74%

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

$21.4K ₱1.4M

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-37.30%

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

$19.2K ₱1.2M

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-44.71%

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

$53.6 ₱3,416

$170 COP 547.0K

-68.41%

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

$9.42 ₱600

$13.55 COP 43.7K

-30.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.59 ₱1,439

$28.07 COP 90.5K

-19.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$4.82 ₱307

$43.70 COP 140.9K

-88.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

Cinema Ticket

$5.12 ₱326

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-25.90%

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

$130 ₱8,279

$797 COP 2.6M

-83.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱673.2K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

15.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.20 ₱1,797

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-66.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.52 ₱1,244

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-66.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.9 ₱3,432

$135 COP 435.2K

-60.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.64 ₱3,035

$97.9 COP 315.6K

-51.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$209 ₱13.3K

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-82.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$118 ₱7,491

$642 COP 2.1M

-81.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$307 ₱19.6K

$657 COP 2.1M

-53.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

10.94

-38.30%

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

Last update for Caloocan: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Caloocan

$158 31.9%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 88% $139

Accommodation & Living

Caloocan

$118 23.7%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 446% $524

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Caloocan

$86 17.3%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 147% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Caloocan

$67 13.6%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 152% $102

Eating Out

Caloocan

$50 10%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 242% $120

Sport & Entertainment

Caloocan

$15 3%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 282% $42

Getting Around

Caloocan

$2.7 * 0.5%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 3417% $91

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $209 in Caloocan versus $1,208 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 in Medellin are about 2.1 times higher, 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 $16 in Caloocan versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $158 vs $297 – making Caloocan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Caloocan

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

03:06 3:06 AM

14:06 2:06 PM

13 h behind Caloocan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,661,584

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 = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 63.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.15 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Caloocan Medellin 17,060 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Caloocan
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

Caloocan vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 231% more than Caloocan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $743 per month in Caloocan and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Caloocan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $209 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Caloocan and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 88% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Caloocan, where all-in costs run around $496, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Caloocan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Caloocan – 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 Caloocan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.