Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lipa and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Lipa: $596 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Lipa
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Lipa Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Lipa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$596

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $596 per month in Lipa vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Lipa $596
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $924 per month in Lipa vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Lipa $924
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,252 per month in Lipa vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Lipa $1,252
Medellin $3,186

Lipa is about 64% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Lipa sits 56% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.12 ₱199

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-61.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.87 ₱1,011

$47.05 COP 151.9K

-66.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.78 ₱177

$9.50 COP 30.7K

-70.74%

Cappuccino

$1.83 ₱117

$3.01 COP 9,735

-39.20%

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

$0.42 ₱26.58

$1.80 COP 5,809

-76.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱19.52

$1.41 COP 4,561

-78.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ₱65.2

$3.18 COP 10.3K

-67.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 ₱96.8

$5.75 COP 18.6K

-73.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ₱96.4

$1.51 COP 4,876

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 ₱70.1

$2.38 COP 7,678

-53.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 ₱52.6

$1.77 COP 5,720

-53.11%

Eggs

$1.72 ₱109

$2.89 COP 9,333

-40.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.13 ₱327

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-49.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 ₱208

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-66.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 ₱498

$13.99 COP 45.2K

-44.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 ₱145

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-42.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₱99.7

$1.55 COP 5,012

1.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 ₱145

$2.18 COP 7,048

4.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.01 ₱64.3

$2.18 COP 7,051

-53.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 ₱106

$1.96 COP 6,337

-14.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 ₱109

$1.59 COP 5,132

6.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ₱38.36

$1.15 COP 3,699

-47.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.10

$1.24 COP 4,014

-60.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 ₱186

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-26.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.39 ₱534

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-38.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ₱56.9

$1.66 COP 5,359

-46.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₱124

$2.26 COP 7,291

-14.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ₱17.23

$1.17 COP 3,771

-76.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.80 ₱306

$77.4 COP 249.8K

-93.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 ₱43.28

$1.27 COP 4,094

-46.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.33

$2.05 COP 6,612

-88.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱119

$8.55 COP 27.6K

-78.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₱69.9

$1.35 COP 4,349

-18.52%

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

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-38.92%

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

$15.4K ₱982.6K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-55.50%

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

$135 ₱8,605

$170 COP 547.8K

-20.37%

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

$17.10 ₱1,089

$13.55 COP 43.8K

26.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.80 ₱1,452

$28.07 COP 90.6K

-18.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.49 ₱2,005

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-27.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.83 ₱244

$17.19 COP 55.5K

-77.72%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 ₱322

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-26.77%

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

$132 ₱8,375

$797 COP 2.6M

-83.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K ₱675.9K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

16.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.79 ₱1,834

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-66.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.29 ₱1,228

$58.0 COP 187.2K

-66.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.7 ₱4,565

$135 COP 435.8K

-46.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.7 ₱3,545

$97.9 COP 316.0K

-43.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$79.1 ₱5,039

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-93.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$58.6 ₱3,729

$642 COP 2.1M

-90.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$241 ₱15.4K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-88.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 ₱11.3K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-82.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$222 ₱14.1K

$657 COP 2.1M

-66.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-45.16%

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

Last update for Lipa: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lipa

$175 29.3%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 20.7% $36

Groceries & Markets

Lipa

$168 28.2%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 76.6% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Lipa

$79 13.2%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 114% $90

Eating Out

Lipa

$66 11.1%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 156% $103

Accommodation & Living

Lipa

$59 9.8%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 996% $583

Sport & Entertainment

Lipa

$42 7%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 38.3% $16

Getting Around

Lipa

$7.8 1.3%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 1104% $86

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $79 in Lipa 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 3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Lipa versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $168 vs $297 – making Lipa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Lipa

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

18:19 6:19 PM

05:19 5:19 AM

13 h behind Lipa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

332,386

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.69 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.08 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lipa Medellin 17,100 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Lipa
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

Lipa vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $596 in Lipa, $1,639 in Medellin – Lipa comes out roughly 64% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $894 per month in Lipa 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 Lipa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $79 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Public transport costs about 94% less in Lipa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $132 per month in Lipa 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 Lipa, where all-in costs run around $596, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Lipa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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