Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Baguio

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $737 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$737

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Baguio

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 Baguio actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $737 in Baguio.

Medellin $1,639
Baguio $737

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,148 in Baguio.

Medellin $2,413
Baguio $1,148

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,558 in Baguio.

Medellin $3,186
Baguio $1,558

Living in Medellin is roughly 122% more expensive than in Baguio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Baguio is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$3.92 ₱250

106.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$16.66 ₱1,061

182.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$2.73 ₱174

247.99%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$1.80 ₱114

67.22%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.55 ₱35.10

227.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.33 ₱21.21

327.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$0.99 ₱63.4

221.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$1.54 ₱97.9

273.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.59 ₱101

-5.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$1.14 ₱72.9

108.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$0.97 ₱61.5

82.47%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$1.99 ₱127

45.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$5.11 ₱325

99.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$3.27 ₱208

201.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$7.63 ₱486

83.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.19 ₱139

81.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.55 ₱99.0

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$2.26 ₱144

-3.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.02 ₱64.9

113.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.73 ₱110

13.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.69 ₱108

-5.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.65 ₱41.11

76.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.51 ₱32.64

143.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$2.94 ₱187

34.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$8.50 ₱541

60.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$0.95 ₱60.3

74.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$2.05 ₱131

10.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.22 ₱14.01

431.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$12.90 ₱822

499.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$0.81 ₱51.7

56.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.24 ₱15.35

754.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$1.90 ₱121

350.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.19 ₱76.0

13.45%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$21.3K ₱1.4M

60.25%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

84.57%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$136 ₱8,657

24.83%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$17.08 ₱1,088

-20.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$23.01 ₱1,465

21.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$20.76 ₱1,322

110.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$5.23 ₱333

228.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$5.03 ₱321

37.38%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$132 ₱8,438

501.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$10.6K ₱672.0K

-13.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$28.91 ₱1,841

193.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$19.53 ₱1,244

196.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$71.5 ₱4,554

88.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$54.9 ₱3,496

78.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$393 ₱25.1K

207.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$192 ₱12.2K

233.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$819 ₱52.2K

147.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$463 ₱29.5K

118.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$3,156 ₱201.0K

32.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,526 ₱97.2K

25.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$179 ₱11.4K

266.97%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Baguio: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Baguio

$192 26.1% 70% $449

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Baguio

$171 23.2% 42.3% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Baguio

$176 23.9% 16.7% $35

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Baguio

$73 9.9% 57.1% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Baguio

$79 10.7% 53.4% $90

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Baguio

$16 2.1% 83.1% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Baguio

$31 4.2% 46.4% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $393 in Baguio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 3.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $17 in Baguio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $171 per month, with Baguio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 Baguio

🕒 Local time

00:01 12:01 AM

13:01 1:01 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

366,358

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.69 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.12 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Baguio 16,930 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Baguio

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 Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Baguio the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Medellin is about 3.7 times higher, 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $393 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $737 in Baguio – Baguio is about 55% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Baguio runs roughly 83% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your 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 Baguio gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.