Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cagayan de Oro City Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cagayan de Oro City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $765 in Cagayan de Oro City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,150 in Cagayan de Oro City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,534 in Cagayan de Oro City.

Living in Medellin is roughly 120% more expensive than in Cagayan de Oro City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Cagayan de Oro City is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$3.48 ₱219

130.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$12.57 ₱789

280.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$2.95 ₱185

235.25%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.40 ₱150

30.42%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.71 ₱44.38

169.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.89 ₱55.7

69.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.41 ₱88.6

121.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$1.93 ₱121

197.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.53 ₱95.9

-5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.89 ₱55.9

179.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$0.96 ₱60.4

84.38%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.18 ₱137

35.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$8.52 ₱534

18.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$3.23 ₱203

213.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$5.73 ₱359

149.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.15 ₱135

92.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.09 ₱68.3

47.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$2.91 ₱183

-22.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.15 ₱71.9

95.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$2.14 ₱134

-4.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$2.53 ₱159

-39.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.77 ₱48.07

51.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.46 ₱28.63

184.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.85 ₱179

36.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$3.92 ₱246

257.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.64 ₱103

6.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.92 ₱120

49.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.39 ₱24.22

212.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$9.95 ₱624

708.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$0.66 ₱41.69

98.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.22 ₱13.83

895.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$2.36 ₱148

269.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.01 ₱63.6

35.64%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

31.48%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$20.2K ₱1.3M

77.40%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$133 ₱8,314

33.74%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$22.83 ₱1,432

-39.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$30.15 ₱1,891

-1.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$20.25 ₱1,270

121.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$2.71 ₱170

531.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$4.39 ₱275

51.48%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$65.5 ₱4,108

1141.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$2,262 ₱141.9K

306.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$31.65 ₱1,985

182.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$13.10 ₱822

350.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$52.2 ₱3,272

164.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$39.98 ₱2,508

155.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$382 ₱24.0K

177.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$228 ₱14.3K

190.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$703 ₱44.1K

168.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$441 ₱27.6K

132.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,627 ₱102.1K

157.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$939 ₱58.9K

78.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$305 ₱19.1K

122.26%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Cagayan de Oro City: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $382 in Cagayan de Oro City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 122% 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 $13.00 in Cagayan de Oro City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $170 per month, with Cagayan de Oro City 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 Cagayan de Oro City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Cagayan de Oro City differ by about 120% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $765 including rent). Cagayan de Oro City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 122% 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $382 in Cagayan de Oro City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cagayan de Oro City – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $765 in Cagayan de Oro City versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cagayan de Oro City but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cagayan de Oro City 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 Cagayan de Oro City 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 Cagayan de Oro City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.