Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandaue and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandaue and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $901 in Mandaue versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,351 in Mandaue versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,802 in Mandaue versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Mandaue costs roughly 13% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mandaue 33% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.49 ₱277

$5.92 COP 21.4K

-24.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.26 ₱1,496

$32.75 COP 118.2K

-25.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.46 ₱275

$7.20 COP 26.0K

-38.06%

Cappuccino

$2.66 ₱164

$1.70 COP 6,140

56.47%

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

$0.80 ₱49.49

$1.10 COP 3,966

-27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ₱26.40

$0.72 COP 2,605

-40.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.54 ₱94.8

$1.67 COP 6,022

-7.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱134

$3.10 COP 11.2K

-30.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ₱132

$1.06 COP 3,809

101.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 ₱48.76

$1.25 COP 4,497

-36.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ₱60.4

$1.39 COP 5,022

-29.50%

Eggs

$2.19 ₱135

$2.26 COP 8,168

-3.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.11 ₱809

$4.33 COP 15.6K

202.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.27 ₱325

$5.84 COP 21.1K

-9.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.50 ₱462

$8.83 COP 31.9K

-15.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 ₱225

$2.24 COP 8,099

62.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 ₱92.8

$1.08 COP 3,882

38.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 ₱205

$1.53 COP 5,522

116.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 ₱136

$1.37 COP 4,950

61.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 ₱165

$1.13 COP 4,078

137.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₱157

$1.12 COP 4,036

126.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ₱56.5

$0.85 COP 3,057

8.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ₱51.5

$0.91 COP 3,281

-8.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.62 ₱162

$2.33 COP 8,414

12.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.73 ₱415

$11.13 COP 40.2K

-39.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₱74.1

$1.19 COP 4,309

0.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 ₱137

$2.37 COP 8,553

-5.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱15.97

$0.79 COP 2,838

-67.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱50.2

$1.44 COP 5,184

-43.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.16

$1.91 COP 6,901

-87.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 ₱165

$8.02 COP 28.9K

-66.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₱68.0

$0.94 COP 3,385

17.02%

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

$30.2K ₱1.9M

$17.9K COP 64.7M

68.27%

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

$27.7K ₱1.7M

$26.8K COP 96.7M

3.31%

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

$96.0 ₱5,920

$84.0 COP 303.1K

14.32%

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

$26.08 ₱1,609

$9.60 COP 34.7K

171.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.25 ₱1,866

$24.16 COP 87.2K

25.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.12 ₱2,906

$25.88 COP 93.4K

82.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.47 ₱276

$19.04 COP 68.7K

-76.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.07 ₱374

$3.92 COP 14.1K

54.85%

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

$231 ₱14.3K

$306 COP 1.1M

-24.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,848 ₱237.3K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

-34.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.97 ₱2,774

$57.9 COP 209.1K

-22.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.09 ₱1,424

$31.82 COP 114.9K

-27.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 ₱4,662

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-24.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.6 ₱3,370

$107 COP 386.8K

-49.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$265 ₱16.4K

$487 COP 1.8M

-45.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 ₱17.2K

$368 COP 1.3M

-24.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 ₱51.1K

$826 COP 3.0M

0.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 ₱27.0K

$716 COP 2.6M

-38.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,244 ₱138.4K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-23.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$242 ₱14.9K

$546 COP 2.0M

-55.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-40.43%

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

Last update for Mandaue: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $265 in Mandaue and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 125% 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: $24.00 in Mandaue vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $232 vs $190, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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

Mandaue vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandaue wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mandaue the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Medellin earns 125% less. 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: $265 in Mandaue versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $231 in Mandaue versus $306 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mandaue – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $901 in Mandaue versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mandaue but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Mandaue the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mandaue delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $901 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mandaue hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mandaue 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 Mandaue gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.