Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cabanatuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabanatuan: $601 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Cabanatuan
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Cabanatuan Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Cabanatuan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Cabanatuan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Cabanatuan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $601 in Cabanatuan, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Cabanatuan $601

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $954 in Cabanatuan, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Cabanatuan $954

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,308 in Cabanatuan, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Cabanatuan $1,308

Medellin costs about 182% more than Cabanatuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Cabanatuan is 56% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$3.87 ₱246

115.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$16.59 ₱1,055

180.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$2.71 ₱172

249.45%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$1.74 ₱111

79.89%

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

$1.77 COP 5,727

$0.60 ₱38.00

195.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,619

$0.33 ₱21.20

330.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$0.94 ₱59.6

235.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$1.60 ₱102

256.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,969

$1.64 ₱104

-6.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,429

$1.11 ₱70.5

106.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,306

$0.88 ₱55.7

120.45%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,942

$2.04 ₱130

50.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$4.87 ₱309

105.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$3.29 ₱209

217.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$7.57 ₱481

84.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$2.26 ₱144

79.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,956

$1.04 ₱65.9

47.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,823

$2.39 ₱152

-12.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,437

$0.81 ₱51.5

182.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,839

$1.64 ₱104

28.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,542

$1.71 ₱109

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,794

$0.88 ₱56.3

32.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,123

$0.52 ₱32.96

203.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$2.93 ₱186

33.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.5K

$8.71 ₱554

61.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,712

$0.88 ₱55.7

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,793

$2.06 ₱131

31.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,825

$0.24 ₱15.28

391.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

$12.40 ₱789

515.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,859

$0.81 ₱51.3

123.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,904

$0.20 ₱12.75

965.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$1.86 ₱118

337.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,135

$0.95 ₱60.5

34.74%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$21.3K ₱1.4M

61.33%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

76.97%

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

$178 COP 576.3K

$52.5 ₱3,335

238.86%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$17.00 ₱1,081

-18.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$21.22 ₱1,349

44.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

$10.94 ₱695

283.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

$5.15 ₱327

226.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$5.05 ₱321

47.92%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$132 ₱8,365

500.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$10.7K ₱682.1K

14.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 279.9K

$23.07 ₱1,467

274.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$19.29 ₱1,227

207.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.6K

$57.8 ₱3,674

139.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.4K

$55.8 ₱3,549

77.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$250 ₱15.9K

437.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$164 ₱10.4K

306.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$485 ₱30.8K

307.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$349 ₱22.2K

196.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

$2,631 ₱167.3K

55.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,099 ₱69.9K

76.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$159 ₱10.1K

307.09%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cabanatuan: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Cabanatuan

$164 27.3% 75.4% $503

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Cabanatuan

$168 28% 45.3% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Cabanatuan

$91 15.1% 59.2% $132

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Cabanatuan

$72 11.9% 58.5% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Cabanatuan

$70 11.7% 59.2% $102

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Cabanatuan

$15 2.5% 83.8% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Cabanatuan

$21 3.5% 63% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $250 in Cabanatuan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 4.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $17 in Cabanatuan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $168 – making Cabanatuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 Cabanatuan

🕒 Local time

17:39 5:39 PM

06:39 6:39 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

302,231

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,650 COP (10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 63.58 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.57 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Cabanatuan 16,980 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Cabanatuan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Cabanatuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,692 in Medellin, $601 in Cabanatuan – Cabanatuan comes out roughly 64% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $901 in Cabanatuan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cabanatuan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $250 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $17 in Cabanatuan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $601 in Cabanatuan. That makes Cabanatuan about 64% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Cabanatuan, where all-in costs run around $601, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Cabanatuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cabanatuan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Cabanatuan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.