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: $1,641 in Medellin versus $579 in Butuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $903 in Butuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,227 in Butuan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 183% more expensive than in Butuan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Butuan is 58% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 25.0K

$4.69 ₱292

71.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 149.9K

$26.84 ₱1,674

79.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.3K

$2.33 ₱145

304.29%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,120

$2.12 ₱132

38.68%

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

$1.86 COP 5,786

$0.31 ₱19.11

500.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,519

$0.23 ₱14.27

534.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,969

$1.56 ₱97.1

105.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.7K

$2.33 ₱145

145.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,467

$1.95 ₱122

-26.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,454

$1.09 ₱68.2

120.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,274

$0.94 ₱58.5

80.85%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,975

$1.93 ₱120

49.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.2K

$6.79 ₱423

48.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 31.0K

$4.30 ₱268

131.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 44.1K

$8.69 ₱542

63.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.4K

$2.59 ₱162

53.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,921

$1.08 ₱67.2

46.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,682

$2.28 ₱142

-5.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,141

$1.20 ₱75.0

91.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,223

$2.10 ₱131

-4.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,687

$3.61 ₱225

-58.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,734

$1.19 ₱74.1

0.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,981

$0.66 ₱41.22

93.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.9K

$2.50 ₱156

53.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.5K

$7.90 ₱492

77.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,302

$1.24 ₱77.3

37.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,515

$1.53 ₱95.7

79.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,868

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 241.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,052

$0.83 ₱51.6

57.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,739

$0.25 ₱15.69

768.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.8K

$1.94 ₱121

327.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,209

$1.09 ₱67.8

24.77%

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

$27.5K COP 85.3M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

30.27%

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

$36.5K COP 113.4M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

91.41%

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

$169 COP 523.8K

$106 ₱6,632

58.65%

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

$13.57 COP 42.1K

$19.04 ₱1,187

-28.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.9K

$31.42 ₱1,959

-9.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 141.9K

$24.08 ₱1,501

89.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$4.37 ₱273

52.17%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$108 ₱6,746

642.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.5M

$7,486 ₱466.8K

22.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 271.2K

$61.6 ₱3,843

41.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 184.3K

$27.03 ₱1,686

119.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 431.3K

$72.6 ₱4,524

91.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 316.8K

$60.7 ₱3,784

68.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.31

31.65%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Butuan: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $27.00 in Butuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $196 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 183% 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 $2,462 in Medellin and $869 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.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $108 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 $27.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $579 in Butuan versus $1,641 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 $579 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 183% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.