Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Butuan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Butuan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $734 in Butuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,121 in Butuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,507 in Butuan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 40% more expensive than in Butuan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Butuan 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$4.51 ₱278

36.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$16.09 ₱991

102.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$2.37 ₱146

209.70%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$1.62 ₱99.8

6.17%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.33 ₱20.25

218.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.31 ₱19.13

148.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$1.22 ₱75.1

38.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$1.80 ₱111

76.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.67 ₱103

-37.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.07 ₱66.0

21.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$0.92 ₱56.9

52.17%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$2.08 ₱128

3.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$5.74 ₱353

-23.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$3.62 ₱223

62.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$7.28 ₱448

18.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$1.45 ₱89.1

57.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$0.52 ₱31.95

113.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$0.90 ₱55.6

70.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.41 ₱87.0

-4.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$2.18 ₱134

-48.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$3.16 ₱195

-64.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.32 ₱81.1

-35.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.57 ₱35.24

59.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$2.41 ₱149

-2.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$7.92 ₱488

56.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$0.72 ₱44.55

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$0.92 ₱56.8

170.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$0.26 ₱15.84

223.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$0.70 ₱43.24

102.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.25 ₱15.46

668.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$2.14 ₱132

257.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.15 ₱70.5

-13.91%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$21.9K ₱1.3M

-17.53%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

27.06%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$105 ₱6,457

-22.95%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$33.60 ₱2,069

-70.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$36.43 ₱2,243

-33.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$34.40 ₱2,118

-27.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$4.46 ₱275

329.37%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$4.46 ₱275

-10.76%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$69.6 ₱4,283

338.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$1,787 ₱110.0K

239.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$45.25 ₱2,786

28.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$10.00 ₱615

222.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$71.1 ₱4,380

41.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$69.4 ₱4,274

55.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$269 ₱16.6K

76.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$174 ₱10.7K

115.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$592 ₱36.5K

42.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$394 ₱24.2K

85.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

9.56

40.48%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Butuan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $269 in Butuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $16.00 in Butuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $164 per month, with Butuan 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 Butuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butuan wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Butuan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,546 in Medellin and $1,102 in Butuan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $477 in Medellin versus $269 in Butuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $69.6 in Butuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Butuan – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $734 in Butuan versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Butuan but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Butuan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Butuan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $734 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Butuan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Butuan 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 Butuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.