Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Makati: $1,228 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,228 in Makati versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Makati $1,228
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,028 in Makati versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Makati $2,028
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,828 in Makati versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Makati $2,828
Medellin $3,190

Living in Makati costs roughly 24% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Makati is 9% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.22 ₱392

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-21.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.57 ₱2,491

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-14.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 ₱307

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-48.63%

Cappuccino

$2.55 ₱161

$3.11 COP 9,866

-18.01%

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

$1.06 ₱67.0

$1.83 COP 5,800

-42.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.54

$1.38 COP 4,360

-63.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ₱150

$3.05 COP 9,672

-21.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ₱202

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-41.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱120

$1.45 COP 4,600

31.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ₱81.5

$2.36 COP 7,496

-45.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.0

$1.68 COP 5,328

-36.90%

Eggs

$2.47 ₱155

$2.86 COP 9,077

-13.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 ₱459

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-28.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₱306

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-49.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.03 ₱442

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-49.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 ₱254

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-0.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.50 COP 4,742

29.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 ₱203

$2.17 COP 6,891

48.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 ₱144

$2.31 COP 7,310

-0.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 ₱219

$1.93 COP 6,113

80.31%

Onion (1kg)

$3.59 ₱226

$1.64 COP 5,196

118.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ₱66.8

$1.13 COP 3,571

-6.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₱69.7

$1.25 COP 3,954

-11.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 ₱169

$3.99 COP 12.6K

-32.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 ₱511

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-39.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.70 COP 5,384

-22.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₱124

$2.37 COP 7,525

-16.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ₱56.4

$1.21 COP 3,827

-25.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 ₱3,575

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-25.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 ₱41.91

$1.32 COP 4,179

-49.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.16

$2.14 COP 6,774

-90.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱121

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-77.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱78.8

$1.30 COP 4,114

-3.85%

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

$21.3K ₱1.3M

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-24.05%

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

$19.6K ₱1.2M

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-44.76%

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

$153 ₱9,620

$172 COP 545.6K

-11.21%

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

$16.06 ₱1,011

$13.37 COP 42.4K

20.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.37 ₱2,038

$28.73 COP 91.1K

12.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 ₱3,456

$45.24 COP 143.5K

21.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱890

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-17.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱454

$6.28 COP 19.9K

14.97%

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

$794 ₱50.0K

$770 COP 2.4M

3.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,321 ₱460.9K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-18.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 ₱3,850

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-29.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.86 ₱2,321

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-35.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 ₱5,129

$137 COP 432.9K

-40.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ₱6,510

$97.9 COP 310.4K

5.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 ₱51.3K

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-22.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 ₱26.3K

$616 COP 2.0M

-32.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,274 ₱143.2K

$1,892 COP 6.0M

20.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 ₱67.3K

$1,023 COP 3.2M

4.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,869 ₱369.5K

$4,059 COP 12.9M

44.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,738 ₱235.4K

$1,678 COP 5.3M

122.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$601 ₱37.9K

$652 COP 2.1M

-7.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

10.94

-31.44%

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

Last update for Makati: 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

Makati

$417 34%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 47.6% $198

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$231 18.8%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 27.3% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$201 16.4%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 6.4% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$127 10.4%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 33.6% $43

Eating Out

Makati

$120 9.7%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 40.8% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.6%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 16.6% $12

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.1%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 50.3% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $815 in Makati and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 8% 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: $40.00 in Makati vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $295 per month, with Makati cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

05:58 5:58 AM

16:58 4:58 PM

13 h behind Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

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 18, 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 18, 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

Makati Medellin 17,060 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Makati
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

Makati vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makati wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Makati the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 8% 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: $815 in Makati versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,228 per month in Makati versus $1,614 in Medellin – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Makati runs roughly 35% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,228 in Makati versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Makati but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Makati the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Makati delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,228 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Makati hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Makati 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 Makati gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.