Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lapu-Lapu and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Lapu-Lapu: $845 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Lapu-Lapu
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Lapu-Lapu Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Lapu-Lapu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$845

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $845 in Lapu-Lapu versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Lapu-Lapu $845
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,195 in Lapu-Lapu versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Lapu-Lapu $1,195
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,545 in Lapu-Lapu versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Lapu-Lapu $1,545
Medellin $3,190

Living in Lapu-Lapu costs roughly 48% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lapu-Lapu is 37% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.95 ₱186

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-62.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.86 ₱998

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-65.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ₱246

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-58.95%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₱160

$3.11 COP 9,866

-18.33%

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

$0.58 ₱36.53

$1.83 COP 5,800

-68.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ₱23.93

$1.38 COP 4,360

-72.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 ₱80.9

$3.05 COP 9,672

-57.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₱142

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-59.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ₱111

$1.45 COP 4,600

21.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ₱89.2

$2.36 COP 7,496

-39.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ₱59.5

$1.68 COP 5,328

-44.05%

Eggs

$2.04 ₱129

$2.86 COP 9,077

-28.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.68 ₱358

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-44.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-53.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.71 ₱486

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-45.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ₱211

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-17.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱91.5

$1.50 COP 4,742

-3.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ₱149

$2.17 COP 6,891

9.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱97.1

$2.31 COP 7,310

-33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 ₱151

$1.93 COP 6,113

23.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 ₱125

$1.64 COP 5,196

20.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱75.2

$1.13 COP 3,571

5.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.80

$1.25 COP 3,954

-45.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.62 ₱102

$3.99 COP 12.6K

-59.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.07 ₱256

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-69.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₱65.9

$1.70 COP 5,384

-38.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₱95.2

$2.37 COP 7,525

-36.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.81

$1.21 COP 3,827

-79.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.77

$1.32 COP 4,179

-43.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.51

$2.14 COP 6,774

-89.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 ₱246

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-53.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.4

$1.30 COP 4,114

2.31%

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

$21.5K ₱1.4M

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-23.08%

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

$19.6K ₱1.2M

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-44.79%

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

$120 ₱7,559

$172 COP 545.6K

-30.23%

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

$13.99 ₱881

$13.37 COP 42.4K

4.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.04 ₱1,765

$28.73 COP 91.1K

-2.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.62 ₱795

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-72.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$5.60 ₱353

$6.28 COP 19.9K

-10.83%

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

$103 ₱6,509

$770 COP 2.4M

-86.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,848 ₱494.1K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-12.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.78 ₱3,008

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-44.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.45 ₱1,603

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-55.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.86 ₱1,502

$137 COP 432.9K

-82.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.5 ₱3,683

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-40.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 ₱27.5K

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-58.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 ₱19.9K

$616 COP 2.0M

-48.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 ₱76.4K

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-35.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 ₱29.8K

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-53.77%

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)

$229 ₱14.4K

$652 COP 2.1M

-64.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

10.94

-34.19%

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

Last update for Lapu-Lapu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lapu-Lapu

$317 37.5%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 94.5% $299

Groceries & Markets

Lapu-Lapu

$189 22.4%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 55.6% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lapu-Lapu

$162 19.2%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 32.1% $52

Eating Out

Lapu-Lapu

$81 9.5%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 109% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Lapu-Lapu

$70 8.3%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 143% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Lapu-Lapu

$24 2.8%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 143% $34

Getting Around

Lapu-Lapu

$2.9 * 0.3%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 3118% $90

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 $437 in Lapu-Lapu and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 185% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $16.00 in Lapu-Lapu vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $189 vs $295 per month, with Lapu-Lapu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Lapu-Lapu

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

02:08 2:08 AM

13:08 1:08 PM

13 h behind Lapu-Lapu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

497,604

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lapu-Lapu Medellin 17,170 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Lapu-Lapu
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

Lapu-Lapu vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lapu-Lapu and Medellin differ by about 91% in total monthly costs ($845 vs $1,614 including rent). Lapu-Lapu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 185% lower in Medellin. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $437 in Lapu-Lapu versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $103 in Lapu-Lapu versus $770 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lapu-Lapu – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $46.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $845 in Lapu-Lapu versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lapu-Lapu but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Lapu-Lapu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lapu-Lapu 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 Lapu-Lapu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 91% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.