Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Nido and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in El Nido: $730 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in El Nido
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El Nido Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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El Nido

🇵🇭 Philippines

$730

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $730 per month in El Nido vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

El Nido $730
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,156 per month in El Nido vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

El Nido $1,156
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,582 per month in El Nido vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

El Nido $1,582
Medellin $3,186

El Nido is about 56% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

El Nido sits 46% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.86 ₱247

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-52.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.35 ₱1,942

$47.05 COP 148.0K

-35.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.60 ₱230

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-62.11%

Cappuccino

$2.19 ₱140

$3.01 COP 9,485

-27.24%

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

$1.14 ₱73.2

$1.80 COP 5,660

-36.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱20.11

$1.41 COP 4,443

-78.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ₱78.6

$3.18 COP 9,990

-61.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₱119

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-67.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ₱118

$1.51 COP 4,751

21.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ₱65.4

$2.38 COP 7,480

-57.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 ₱81.0

$1.77 COP 5,573

-28.25%

Eggs

$1.85 ₱119

$2.89 COP 9,093

-35.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.93 ₱380

$10.19 COP 32.1K

-41.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 ₱248

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-60.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.76 ₱433

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-51.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ₱148

$3.97 COP 12.5K

-41.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₱103

$1.55 COP 4,883

3.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱144

$2.18 COP 6,867

3.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 ₱71.5

$2.18 COP 6,870

-48.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 ₱132

$1.96 COP 6,174

5.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 ₱142

$1.59 COP 5,000

39.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ₱72.8

$1.15 COP 3,604

-0.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₱36.09

$1.24 COP 3,911

-54.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₱187

$3.96 COP 12.5K

-26.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.28 ₱530

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-39.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₱59.3

$1.66 COP 5,222

-43.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 ₱114

$2.26 COP 7,104

-21.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.13

$1.17 COP 3,674

-81.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.54 ₱866

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-82.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱49.48

$1.27 COP 3,989

-39.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.01

$2.05 COP 6,442

-89.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 ₱127

$8.55 COP 26.9K

-76.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱81.4

$1.35 COP 4,237

-5.93%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-44.21%

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

$20.2K ₱1.3M

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-41.61%

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

$125 ₱8,027

$170 COP 533.7K

-26.05%

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

$16.25 ₱1,040

$13.55 COP 42.6K

19.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.48 ₱1,503

$28.07 COP 88.3K

-16.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.49 ₱2,015

$43.70 COP 137.5K

-27.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.99 ₱319

$17.19 COP 54.1K

-70.97%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 ₱325

$6.91 COP 21.7K

-26.63%

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

$144 ₱9,204

$797 COP 2.5M

-81.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,421 ₱538.9K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

-7.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.73 ₱2,158

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-60.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.38 ₱1,240

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-66.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.6 ₱4,196

$135 COP 424.6K

-51.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.3 ₱3,986

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-36.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 ₱15.8K

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-79.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$160 ₱10.3K

$642 COP 2.0M

-75.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$507 ₱32.5K

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-74.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 ₱23.0K

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-64.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,535 ₱162.2K

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-39.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,054 ₱67.4K

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-44.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ₱15.8K

$657 COP 2.1M

-62.54%

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 El Nido: October 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

El Nido

$181 24.8%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 64% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Nido

$165 22.6%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 27.9% $46

Accommodation & Living

El Nido

$160 22%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 300% $481

Eating Out

El Nido

$84 11.5%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 103% $86

Clothing & Footwear

El Nido

$81 11.2%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 108% $88

Sport & Entertainment

El Nido

$42 5.7%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 38.2% $16

Getting Around

El Nido

$16 2.2%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 474% $77

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $248 in El Nido 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 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in El Nido versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $181 vs $297 – making El Nido the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 El Nido

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

22:06 10:06 PM

09:06 9:06 AM

13 h behind El Nido

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,494

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.56 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.56 USD). 1 EUR = 71.22 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

El Nido Medellin 17,460 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

El Nido
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

El Nido vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $730 in El Nido, $1,639 in Medellin – roughly 125% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,094 per month in El Nido 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 El Nido, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $248 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Public transport costs about 82% less in El Nido. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $144 per month in El Nido and $797 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in El Nido, where all-in costs run around $730, than in Medellin at $1,639. In El Nido it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward El Nido – 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 El Nido. 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.