Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Albay Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Albay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $731 in Albay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,100 in Albay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,470 in Albay.

Living in Medellin is roughly 125% more expensive than in Albay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Albay is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 25.0K

$3.65 ₱228

120.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 149.9K

$16.73 ₱1,043

188.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.3K

$2.77 ₱172

240.07%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,120

$2.15 ₱134

36.74%

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

$1.86 COP 5,786

$0.59 ₱36.49

215.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,519

$0.32 ₱19.77

356.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,969

$1.09 ₱67.9

194.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.7K

$1.87 ₱116

205.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,467

$1.68 ₱105

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,454

$1.12 ₱69.9

114.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,274

$0.91 ₱56.9

86.81%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,975

$1.94 ₱121

48.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.2K

$5.31 ₱331

89.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 31.0K

$4.16 ₱259

139.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 44.1K

$7.34 ₱458

93.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.4K

$2.29 ₱143

73.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,921

$1.57 ₱97.7

0.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,682

$2.35 ₱147

-8.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,141

$1.13 ₱70.7

103.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,223

$2.12 ₱132

-5.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,687

$2.02 ₱126

-25.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,734

$0.78 ₱48.91

53.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,981

$0.52 ₱32.69

146.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.9K

$2.89 ₱180

32.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.5K

$8.17 ₱510

71.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,302

$0.98 ₱60.9

74.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,515

$2.01 ₱125

36.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,868

$0.27 ₱16.86

362.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 241.9K

$11.14 ₱695

599.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,052

$0.78 ₱48.58

67.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,739

$0.25 ₱15.67

768.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.8K

$1.89 ₱118

338.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,209

$1.13 ₱70.2

20.35%

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

$27.5K COP 85.3M

$21.8K ₱1.4M

25.98%

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

$36.5K COP 113.4M

$19.5K ₱1.2M

87.26%

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

$169 COP 523.8K

$122 ₱7,636

37.79%

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

$13.57 COP 42.1K

$15.25 ₱951

-11.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.9K

$24.58 ₱1,533

15.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 141.9K

$31.78 ₱1,982

43.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.5K

$4.76 ₱297

261.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$5.28 ₱329

25.95%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$135 ₱8,447

493.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.5M

$8,000 ₱498.9K

14.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 271.2K

$32.79 ₱2,045

166.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 184.3K

$19.93 ₱1,243

197.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 431.3K

$72.0 ₱4,487

93.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 316.8K

$56.6 ₱3,532

80.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$269 ₱16.8K

298.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$173 ₱10.8K

278.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 6.0M

$493 ₱30.7K

290.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.3M

$356 ₱22.2K

194.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.8M

$2,618 ₱163.3K

57.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.3M

$1,025 ₱63.9K

65.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$165 ₱10.3K

297.17%

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 Albay: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $269 in Albay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 297% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $17.00 in Albay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $179 per month, with Albay cheaper across the board.

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 Albay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Albay differ by about 125% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $731 including rent). Albay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 297% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,071 in Medellin versus $269 in Albay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Albay – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $731 in Albay versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Albay but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Albay 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.

Expats usually find Albay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 125% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.