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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $731 in Butuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,129 in Butuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,527 in Butuan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 38% more expensive than Butuan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Butuan 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$4.41 ₱272

35.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$16.09 ₱992

104.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$2.33 ₱144

204.29%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$1.63 ₱100

4.91%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.33 ₱20.25

233.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.31 ₱19.22

151.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$1.16 ₱71.8

44.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$1.81 ₱112

69.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.65 ₱102

-33.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$1.03 ₱63.8

22.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$0.99 ₱61.1

39.39%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$1.98 ₱122

10.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$5.73 ₱353

-23.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$3.62 ₱223

55.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$7.37 ₱454

20.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$1.38 ₱85.1

69.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$0.55 ₱33.96

92.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$0.87 ₱53.8

72.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.40 ₱86.6

-1.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$2.20 ₱136

-47.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$3.19 ₱197

-63.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$1.38 ₱85.3

-35.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.52 ₱32.27

61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$2.44 ₱150

-6.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$8.29 ₱511

28.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$0.72 ₱44.55

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$0.87 ₱53.5

183.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.28 ₱17.34

207.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$0.76 ₱46.67

93.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.25 ₱15.46

684.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$2.15 ₱132

260.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.14 ₱70.2

-16.67%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$22.3K ₱1.4M

-18.75%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$20.9K ₱1.3M

26.91%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$106 ₱6,539

-22.43%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$33.91 ₱2,091

-71.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$35.49 ₱2,188

-31.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$33.79 ₱2,084

-23.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$4.32 ₱266

339.81%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$4.38 ₱270

-10.27%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$72.1 ₱4,443

329.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$1,766 ₱108.9K

237.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$45.95 ₱2,834

27.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$10.10 ₱623

220.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$70.9 ₱4,370

44.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$68.0 ₱4,191

59.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$262 ₱16.2K

81.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$176 ₱10.8K

115.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$591 ₱36.5K

41.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$397 ₱24.5K

82.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$2,749 ₱169.5K

1.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,070 ₱66.0K

13.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Butuan: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $262 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 $188 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 38% 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 $1,519 in Medellin and $1,097 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: $476 in Medellin versus $262 in Butuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $72.1 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 $731 in Butuan versus $1,013 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 $731 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 38% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.