Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between General Santos and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in General Santos: $628 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in General Santos
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General Santos Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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General Santos

🇵🇭 Philippines

$628

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $628 in General Santos versus $1,614 in Medellin.

General Santos $628
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,009 in General Santos versus $2,402 in Medellin.

General Santos $1,009
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,391 in General Santos versus $3,190 in Medellin.

General Santos $1,391
Medellin $3,190

Living in General Santos costs roughly 61% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: General Santos is 53% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.38 ₱213

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-57.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.40 ₱1,725

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-40.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.72 ₱172

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-71.37%

Cappuccino

$2.56 ₱161

$3.11 COP 9,866

-17.68%

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

$0.28 ₱17.41

$1.83 COP 5,800

-84.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ₱15.83

$1.38 COP 4,360

-81.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 ₱99.3

$3.05 COP 9,672

-48.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₱147

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-57.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.45 COP 4,600

37.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 ₱68.2

$2.36 COP 7,496

-54.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 ₱54.7

$1.68 COP 5,328

-48.21%

Eggs

$1.86 ₱117

$2.86 COP 9,077

-34.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.38 ₱402

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-37.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 ₱300

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-49.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 ₱582

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-34.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 ₱172

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-32.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ₱67.2

$1.50 COP 4,742

-28.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 ₱154

$2.17 COP 6,891

12.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 ₱74.6

$2.31 COP 7,310

-48.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 ₱125

$1.93 COP 6,113

2.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.28 ₱207

$1.64 COP 5,196

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ₱78.2

$1.13 COP 3,571

9.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.60

$1.25 COP 3,954

-45.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₱155

$3.99 COP 12.6K

-38.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.76 ₱488

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-41.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 ₱78.5

$1.70 COP 5,384

-26.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₱106

$2.37 COP 7,525

-29.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 ₱24.37

$1.21 COP 3,827

-67.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.15 ₱513

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-89.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.25

$1.32 COP 4,179

-40.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.79

$2.14 COP 6,774

-88.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱51.4

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-90.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ₱70.7

$1.30 COP 4,114

-13.85%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-25.43%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-46.01%

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

$76.6 ₱4,825

$172 COP 545.6K

-55.47%

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

$6.53 ₱411

$13.37 COP 42.4K

-51.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.67 ₱1,994

$28.73 COP 91.1K

10.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.91 ₱309

$6.28 COP 19.9K

-21.82%

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

$109 ₱6,840

$770 COP 2.4M

-85.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,532 ₱474.2K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-16.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 ₱3,767

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-30.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.67 ₱1,931

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-46.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 ₱4,428

$137 COP 432.9K

-48.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.7 ₱3,823

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-37.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₱11.0K

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-83.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$112 ₱7,068

$616 COP 2.0M

-81.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$359 ₱22.6K

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-81.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ₱15.0K

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-76.71%

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)

$652 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.31

10.94

-24.04%

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

Last update for General Santos: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

General Santos

$199 31.7%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 48% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

General Santos

$115 18.3%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 86.5% $99

Accommodation & Living

General Santos

$112 17.9%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 449% $504

Clothing & Footwear

General Santos

$100 15.9%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 70.6% $70

Eating Out

General Santos

$81 12.8%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 109% $88

Getting Around

General Santos

$12 1.9%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 695% $82

Sport & Entertainment

General Santos

$9.8 * 1.6%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 489% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $174 in General Santos and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in General Santos vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $295 per month, with General Santos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 General Santos

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

15:21 3:21 PM

02:21 2:21 AM

13 h behind General Santos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

697,315

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 19, 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 19, 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

General Santos Medellin 17,330 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

General Santos
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

General Santos vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

General Santos wins on cost – living expenses run 157% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making General Santos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $942 in General Santos and $2,421 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: $174 in General Santos versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in General Santos – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $46.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $628 per month in General Santos versus $1,614 in Medellin – a 157% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $628 in General Santos versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in General Santos but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes General Santos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but General Santos delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $628 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes General Santos hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, General Santos 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 General Santos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 157% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.