Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Alabang Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Alabang

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $746 in Alabang, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,120 in Alabang, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,495 in Alabang, rent included.

Medellin costs about 120% more than Alabang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Alabang is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 25.0K

$4.07 ₱254

97.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 149.9K

$19.14 ₱1,193

152.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.3K

$2.77 ₱173

240.07%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,120

$2.44 ₱152

20.49%

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

$1.86 COP 5,786

$0.74 ₱46.17

151.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,519

$0.34 ₱21.25

329.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,969

$1.01 ₱63.0

217.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.7K

$1.90 ₱119

200.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,467

$1.67 ₱104

-13.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,454

$1.17 ₱72.9

105.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,274

$0.87 ₱54.4

95.40%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,975

$1.81 ₱113

59.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.2K

$5.12 ₱319

96.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 31.0K

$3.38 ₱211

194.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 44.1K

$7.34 ₱458

93.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.4K

$2.30 ₱143

73.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,921

$1.40 ₱87.2

12.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,682

$2.37 ₱148

-9.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,141

$1.03 ₱64.5

123.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,223

$1.69 ₱106

18.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,687

$1.79 ₱112

-15.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,734

$0.67 ₱41.69

79.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,981

$0.53 ₱33.30

141.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.9K

$2.78 ₱174

38.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.5K

$7.48 ₱466

87.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,302

$0.97 ₱60.4

76.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,515

$1.76 ₱110

55.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,868

$0.25 ₱15.43

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 241.9K

$11.03 ₱688

606.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,052

$0.79 ₱49.26

65.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,739

$0.23 ₱14.39

843.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.8K

$1.97 ₱123

320.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,209

$1.14 ₱71.3

19.30%

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

$27.5K COP 85.3M

$21.9K ₱1.4M

25.59%

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

$36.5K COP 113.4M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

91.37%

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

$169 COP 523.8K

$140 ₱8,743

20.33%

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

$13.57 COP 42.1K

$14.39 ₱897

-5.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.9K

$23.52 ₱1,467

20.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 141.9K

$31.55 ₱1,968

44.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.5K

$4.92 ₱307

250.00%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$5.31 ₱331

25.24%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$72.1 ₱4,494

1014.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.5M

$2,476 ₱154.4K

271.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 271.2K

$28.50 ₱1,777

206.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 184.3K

$19.36 ₱1,208

206.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 431.3K

$72.7 ₱4,535

91.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 316.8K

$55.8 ₱3,477

83.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$226 ₱14.1K

374.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$170 ₱10.6K

285.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 6.0M

$510 ₱31.8K

277.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.3M

$354 ₱22.1K

196.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.8M

$2,556 ₱159.4K

61.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.3M

$1,055 ₱65.8K

60.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.75

62.07%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Alabang: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $226 in Alabang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $19.00 in Alabang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $169 – making Alabang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Medellin vs Alabang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 120%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,119 in Alabang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alabang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 78% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $19.00 in Alabang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Alabang, where all-in costs run around $746, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Alabang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Alabang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Alabang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.