Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bacolod

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacolod: $598 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Bacolod

🇵🇭 Philippines

$598

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Bacolod

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Bacolod actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $598 in Bacolod, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Bacolod $598

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $867 in Bacolod, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Bacolod $867

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,135 in Bacolod, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Bacolod $1,135

Medellin costs about 174% more than Bacolod, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$2.36 ₱150

242.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.8K

$12.74 ₱808

269.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$3.90 ₱247

143.59%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,729

$2.30 ₱146

30.87%

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

$1.80 COP 5,806

$0.67 ₱42.59

168.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,558

$0.36 ₱23.09

291.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$1.31 ₱83.1

142.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$1.84 ₱117

212.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,873

$1.50 ₱95.1

0.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,673

$1.09 ₱69.3

118.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,716

$0.95 ₱60.4

86.32%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,327

$1.58 ₱100

82.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$8.64 ₱548

17.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$6.47 ₱410

52.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.45 ₱219

15.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,009

$2.39 ₱152

-35.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,044

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$0.56 ₱35.64

289.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,333

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,129

$1.97 ₱125

-19.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,012

$1.00 ₱63.6

24.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$2.73 ₱173

45.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,356

$0.88 ₱55.5

88.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,286

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,769

$0.17 ₱10.58

588.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,092

$0.65 ₱41.09

95.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,608

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,346

$1.25 ₱79.1

8.00%

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

$34.1K COP 109.9M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

60.18%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$22.9K ₱1.4M

51.56%

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

$170 COP 547.5K

$137 ₱8,713

23.41%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$7.72 ₱489

75.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$27.18 ₱1,723

3.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.0K

$15.83 ₱1,003

176.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$2.33 ₱148

637.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$4.44 ₱282

55.63%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$31.16 ₱1,975

2456.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.5K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$257 ₱16.3K

370.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$178 ₱11.3K

259.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$466 ₱29.5K

335.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$339 ₱21.5K

198.57%

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)

$657 COP 2.1M

$202 ₱12.8K

225.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bacolod: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Bacolod

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Bacolod

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Bacolod

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Bacolod

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Bacolod

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Bacolod

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Bacolod

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $257 in Bacolod. 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 3.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $13 in Bacolod. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $149 – making Bacolod the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 Bacolod

🕒 Local time

01:59 1:59 AM

14:59 2:59 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

561,875

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,617 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 63.38 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71.04 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Bacolod 17,230 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Bacolod

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

Medellin vs Bacolod: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $598 in Bacolod – Bacolod comes out roughly 63% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $898 in Bacolod. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacolod, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $257 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $13 in Bacolod. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 99% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Bacolod, where all-in costs run around $598, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Bacolod it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bacolod costs $598 versus $1,639 in Medellin. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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