Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Laoag City and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Laoag City: $717 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Laoag City
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Laoag City Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Laoag City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$717

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $717 per month in Laoag City vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Laoag City $717
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,117 per month in Laoag City vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Laoag City $1,117
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,517 per month in Laoag City vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Laoag City $1,517
Medellin $3,186

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

Laoag City sits 47% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.30 ₱273

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-46.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.20 ₱1,027

$47.05 COP 151.8K

-65.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.69 ₱171

$9.50 COP 30.7K

-71.68%

Cappuccino

$2.44 ₱155

$3.01 COP 9,729

-18.94%

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

$0.68 ₱43.18

$1.80 COP 5,806

-62.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.85

$1.41 COP 4,558

-78.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.00 ₱63.5

$3.18 COP 10.2K

-68.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₱120

$5.75 COP 18.6K

-67.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ₱101

$1.51 COP 4,873

5.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱72.5

$2.38 COP 7,673

-52.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ₱56.1

$1.77 COP 5,716

-49.72%

Eggs

$1.86 ₱118

$2.89 COP 9,327

-35.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.02 ₱381

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-40.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 ₱256

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-59.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.07 ₱448

$13.99 COP 45.1K

-49.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ₱145

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-42.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₱101

$1.55 COP 5,009

2.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ₱151

$2.18 COP 7,044

9.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 ₱69.5

$2.18 COP 7,047

-49.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 ₱138

$1.96 COP 6,333

11.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 ₱139

$1.59 COP 5,129

38.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ₱64.7

$1.15 COP 3,696

-11.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱33.21

$1.24 COP 4,012

-58.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 ₱188

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.49 ₱475

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-45.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₱59.1

$1.66 COP 5,356

-43.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₱117

$2.26 COP 7,286

-18.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.20

$1.17 COP 3,769

-79.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.87 ₱816

$77.4 COP 249.7K

-83.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.49

$1.27 COP 4,092

-40.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.29

$2.05 COP 6,608

-89.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₱123

$8.55 COP 27.6K

-77.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 ₱59.6

$1.35 COP 4,346

-30.37%

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

$20.9K ₱1.3M

$34.1K COP 109.9M

-38.79%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-45.18%

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

$109 ₱6,907

$170 COP 547.5K

-35.76%

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

$17.25 ₱1,094

$13.55 COP 43.7K

27.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.88 ₱1,513

$28.07 COP 90.6K

-14.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.78 ₱2,014

$43.70 COP 141.0K

-27.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.53 ₱287

$17.19 COP 55.5K

-73.65%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 ₱315

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-28.08%

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

$132 ₱8,372

$797 COP 2.6M

-83.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,581 ₱543.9K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-5.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.12 ₱2,099

$84.7 COP 273.4K

-60.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.34 ₱1,226

$58.0 COP 187.0K

-66.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 ₱4,494

$135 COP 435.5K

-47.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.3 ₱3,439

$97.9 COP 315.8K

-44.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$214 ₱13.5K

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-82.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$167 ₱10.6K

$642 COP 2.1M

-74.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 ₱30.7K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-76.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 ₱24.3K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-62.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,667 ₱169.1K

$4,170 COP 13.5M

-36.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$977 ₱61.9K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-48.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$155 ₱9,834

$657 COP 2.1M

-76.39%

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 Laoag City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Laoag City

$178 24.9%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 66.4% $119

Accommodation & Living

Laoag City

$167 23.2%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 285% $475

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Laoag City

$150 20.9%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 40.8% $61

Eating Out

Laoag City

$85 11.8%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 101% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Laoag City

$80 11.2%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 111% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Laoag City

$42 5.8%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 37.9% $16

Getting Around

Laoag City

$16 2.2%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 499% $78

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $214 in Laoag City 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 4.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Laoag City versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $178 vs $297 – making Laoag City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Laoag City

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

13:47 1:47 PM

00:47 12:47 AM

13 h behind Laoag City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

112,117

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 63.38 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71.04 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,617 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Laoag City Medellin 16,770 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Laoag City
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

Laoag City vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 129% more than Laoag City, 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 $1,075 per month in Laoag City 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 Laoag City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $214 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $717 in Laoag City and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Laoag City about 56% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 83% less in Laoag City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Laoag City, where all-in costs run around $717, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Laoag City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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