Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bayawan City Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bayawan City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $784 in Bayawan City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,245 in Bayawan City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,706 in Bayawan City.

Living in Medellin is roughly 31% more expensive than in Bayawan City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Bayawan City 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$4.36 ₱268

41.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$24.00 ₱1,478

35.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$4.50 ₱277

63.11%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$2.66 ₱163

-35.34%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.80 ₱49.06

31.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.46 ₱28.24

67.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$1.52 ₱93.8

11.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.11 ₱130

50.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$2.00 ₱123

-47.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.50 ₱92.1

-13.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$0.77 ₱47.28

81.82%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$2.37 ₱146

-8.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$12.83 ₱790

-65.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$5.14 ₱316

14.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$7.66 ₱471

12.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$3.59 ₱221

-36.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$1.53 ₱94.2

-27.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$3.42 ₱211

-55.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$2.27 ₱140

-40.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$2.65 ₱163

-57.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$2.55 ₱157

-55.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.97 ₱59.7

-12.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.78 ₱48.14

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$3.22 ₱198

-27.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$4.82 ₱297

156.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$0.92 ₱56.4

30.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$2.27 ₱140

9.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$0.26 ₱15.79

223.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$0.84 ₱51.6

69.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.23 ₱14.10

734.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$2.70 ₱166

183.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.09 ₱67.2

-9.17%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$30.6K ₱1.9M

-41.14%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$27.5K ₱1.7M

-3.04%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$95.4 ₱5,871

-15.26%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$34.78 ₱2,141

-71.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$29.34 ₱1,806

-17.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$33.90 ₱2,087

-26.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$4.37 ₱269

338.22%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$1.74 ₱107

128.74%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$235 ₱14.5K

29.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$3,928 ₱241.8K

54.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$46.50 ₱2,863

25.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$22.83 ₱1,406

41.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$74.8 ₱4,603

34.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$55.6 ₱3,422

93.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$261 ₱16.1K

82.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$175 ₱10.8K

114.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$581 ₱35.8K

45.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$402 ₱24.7K

81.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$2,717 ₱167.2K

18.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$876 ₱53.9K

56.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$112 ₱6,914

449.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

67.88%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bayawan City: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $261 in Bayawan City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 449% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $24.00 in Bayawan City. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $232, 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

Medellin vs Bayawan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Bayawan City differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,031 vs $784 including rent). Bayawan City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 449% 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: $477 in Medellin versus $261 in Bayawan City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $235 in Bayawan City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bayawan City – 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 $784 in Bayawan City versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bayawan City but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bayawan City 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 Bayawan City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.