Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Boracay Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Boracay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $765 in Boracay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,164 in Boracay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $1,562 in Boracay.

Living in Medellin is roughly 124% more expensive than in Boracay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Boracay is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$5.47 ₱342

46.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$19.41 ₱1,215

148.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$5.85 ₱366

67.01%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$2.25 ₱141

29.33%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$0.67 ₱41.81

189.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.23 ₱14.28

560.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$1.08 ₱67.6

186.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$1.93 ₱121

197.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.63 ₱102

-16.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$1.08 ₱67.3

121.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$0.97 ₱60.6

75.26%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$1.88 ₱117

52.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$5.24 ₱328

89.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$4.01 ₱251

168.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$7.61 ₱476

93.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.55 ₱159

60.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$1.55 ₱96.9

1.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$2.04 ₱128

4.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$0.99 ₱62.2

123.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$2.00 ₱125

2.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$1.81 ₱113

-17.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$0.91 ₱56.8

30.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.61 ₱38.39

90.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.37 ₱148

64.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$8.11 ₱508

78.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$1.00 ₱62.5

58.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$1.96 ₱122

44.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.25 ₱15.52

368.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$10.29 ₱644

655.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$0.76 ₱47.54

68.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$0.23 ₱14.22

808.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$1.70 ₱106

407.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.16 ₱72.5

12.07%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$20.4K ₱1.3M

35.58%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$19.9K ₱1.2M

78.56%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$111 ₱6,942

58.76%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$15.94 ₱998

-16.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$34.58 ₱2,165

-13.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$34.63 ₱2,168

29.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$4.53 ₱284

276.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$5.23 ₱328

18.55%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$153 ₱9,560

419.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$8,190 ₱512.7K

10.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$29.35 ₱1,838

191.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$18.32 ₱1,147

219.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$61.6 ₱3,854

121.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$63.1 ₱3,948

63.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$270 ₱16.9K

291.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$175 ₱11.0K

288.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$504 ₱31.6K

298.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$358 ₱22.4K

226.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$2,625 ₱164.3K

56.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,058 ₱66.2K

60.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$235 ₱14.7K

182.85%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Boracay: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $270 in Boracay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 183% 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 $19.00 in Boracay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $178 per month, with Boracay 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 Boracay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Boracay differ by about 124% in total monthly costs ($1,716 vs $765 including rent). Boracay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 183% 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $270 in Boracay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Boracay – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $765 in Boracay versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Boracay but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Boracay 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Boracay are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Boracay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 124% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.