Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Island Garden City of Samal and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Island Garden City of Samal: $715 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Island Garden City of Samal
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Island Garden City of Samal Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Island Garden City of Samal

🇵🇭 Philippines

$715

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Island Garden City of Samal 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 Island Garden City of Samal and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $715 per month in Island Garden City of Samal vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Island Garden City of Samal $715
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $1,104 per month in Island Garden City of Samal vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Island Garden City of Samal $1,104
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $1,492 per month in Island Garden City of Samal vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Island Garden City of Samal $1,492
Medellin $3,249

Island Garden City of Samal is about 58% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Island Garden City of Samal sits 47% below the global median, while Medellin is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.15 ₱72.3

$8.34 COP 27.2K

-86.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.72 ₱1,054

$46.53 COP 152.0K

-64.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ₱249

$9.47 COP 30.9K

-58.29%

Cappuccino

$2.19 ₱138

$3.13 COP 10.2K

-30.03%

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

$1.03 ₱64.7

$1.77 COP 5,770

-41.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₱41.92

$1.42 COP 4,654

-53.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ₱75.5

$3.15 COP 10.3K

-61.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ₱132

$5.70 COP 18.6K

-63.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.53 COP 5,007

25.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 ₱67.2

$2.29 COP 7,485

-53.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 ₱52.8

$1.94 COP 6,354

-56.70%

Eggs

$1.93 ₱122

$3.07 COP 10.0K

-37.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.29 ₱396

$9.99 COP 32.6K

-37.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.66 ₱294

$10.45 COP 34.1K

-55.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 ₱584

$13.96 COP 45.6K

-33.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 ₱172

$4.05 COP 13.2K

-32.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ₱67.2

$1.53 COP 4,993

-30.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$2.10 COP 6,874

10.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 ₱74.3

$2.29 COP 7,493

-48.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 ₱120

$2.11 COP 6,891

-9.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.47 ₱219

$1.71 COP 5,584

102.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₱74.5

$1.17 COP 3,823

0.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₱41.57

$1.58 COP 5,162

-58.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 ₱148

$3.91 COP 12.8K

-40.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 ₱498

$14.04 COP 45.9K

-43.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱79.9

$1.76 COP 5,755

-27.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₱101

$2.71 COP 8,860

-40.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.18

$1.18 COP 3,854

-79.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.28 ₱774

$76.3 COP 249.2K

-83.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.36

$1.81 COP 5,903

-58.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.20

$2.13 COP 6,956

-88.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 ₱116

$8.13 COP 26.6K

-77.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₱77.2

$1.28 COP 4,166

-4.69%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$34.4K COP 112.5M

-39.27%

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

$18.6K ₱1.2M

$34.1K COP 111.5M

-45.55%

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

$100 ₱6,336

$178 COP 580.6K

-43.46%

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

$18.62 ₱1,174

$13.89 COP 45.4K

34.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.00 ₱1,955

$30.74 COP 100.4K

0.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.00 ₱1,955

$41.94 COP 137.0K

-26.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.22 ₱329

$16.80 COP 54.9K

-68.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.72 ₱298

$7.47 COP 24.4K

-36.81%

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

$103 ₱6,524

$790 COP 2.6M

-86.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,545 ₱475.8K

$12.3K COP 40.2M

-38.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.51 ₱2,050

$86.3 COP 282.1K

-62.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.14 ₱1,207

$59.3 COP 193.6K

-67.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.7 ₱4,458

$138 COP 451.9K

-48.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.7 ₱3,767

$98.8 COP 322.8K

-39.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$251 ₱15.8K

$1,341 COP 4.4M

-81.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$166 ₱10.5K

$667 COP 2.2M

-75.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ₱30.3K

$1,976 COP 6.5M

-75.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ₱22.5K

$1,033 COP 3.4M

-65.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,635 ₱166.1K

$4,098 COP 13.4M

-35.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,089 ₱68.7K

$1,940 COP 6.3M

-43.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 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 Island Garden City of Samal: October 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Island Garden City of Samal

$197 27.5%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 56.2% $111

Accommodation & Living

Island Garden City of Samal

$166 23.3%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 302% $501

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Island Garden City of Samal

$150 21%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 48.1% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Island Garden City of Samal

$82 11.5%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 110% $90

Eating Out

Island Garden City of Samal

$64 9%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 169% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Island Garden City of Samal

$40 5.7%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 40.6% $16

Getting Around

Island Garden City of Samal

$15 2.1%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 515% $78

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $251 in Island Garden City of Samal versus $1,341 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $17 in Island Garden City of Samal versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $307 – making Island Garden City of Samal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Island Garden City of Samal

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

14:45 2:45 PM

01:45 1:45 AM

13 h behind Island Garden City of Samal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

116,771

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.06 USD

10,000 COP = 2.73 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 63.06 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.58 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,267 COP (10,000 COP = 3.06 USD). 1 EUR = 3,657 COP (10,000 COP = 2.73 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Island Garden City of Samal Medellin 17,220 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Island Garden City of Samal
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

Island Garden City of Samal vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 137% more than Island Garden City of Samal, 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 $1,072 per month in Island Garden City of Samal and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Island Garden City of Samal, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $251 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $715 in Island Garden City of Samal and $1,692 in Medellin. That makes Island Garden City of Samal about 58% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 84% less in Island Garden City of Samal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Island Garden City of Samal, where all-in costs run around $715, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Island Garden City of Samal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Island Garden City of Samal – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Island Garden City of Samal is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 58% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.