Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Calamba Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Calamba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $716 in Calamba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,185 in Calamba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,654 in Calamba.

Living in Medellin is roughly 44% more expensive than Calamba, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Calamba 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.5K

$3.53 ₱216

67.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 119.1K

$13.14 ₱804

149.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.2K

$2.59 ₱159

177.99%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,186

$2.45 ₱150

-30.61%

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

$1.10 COP 3,996

$0.64 ₱39.37

71.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,625

$0.41 ₱24.82

75.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,067

$0.99 ₱60.9

68.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.3K

$1.94 ₱118

59.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,837

$1.91 ₱117

-44.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,531

$1.20 ₱73.1

4.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,060

$1.07 ₱65.6

29.91%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,229

$2.21 ₱135

2.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.8K

$9.26 ₱566

-53.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.2K

$3.76 ₱230

55.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 32.1K

$8.57 ₱524

3.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,159

$2.66 ₱163

-15.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,911

$1.79 ₱110

-39.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,563

$2.38 ₱146

-35.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,987

$1.22 ₱74.5

12.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,109

$1.84 ₱113

-38.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,067

$2.27 ₱139

-50.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,080

$0.72 ₱44.29

18.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,305

$0.78 ₱47.46

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,477

$3.22 ₱197

-27.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.5K

$8.97 ₱549

24.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,342

$1.03 ₱63.3

15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,617

$2.32 ₱142

2.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,859

$0.26 ₱15.90

203.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,223

$0.86 ₱52.4

67.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,952

$0.24 ₱14.77

695.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 29.2K

$2.41 ₱147

232.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,410

$1.10 ₱67.1

-14.55%

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

$17.9K COP 65.2M

$32.2K ₱2.0M

-44.28%

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

$26.8K COP 97.4M

$20.5K ₱1.3M

30.47%

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

$84.0 COP 305.4K

$148 ₱9,035

-43.15%

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

$9.60 COP 34.9K

$34.74 ₱2,125

-72.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.9K

$25.96 ₱1,588

-6.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 94.1K

$34.12 ₱2,088

-24.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 69.3K

$4.53 ₱277

320.31%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.2K

$5.64 ₱345

-30.50%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$152 ₱9,308

101.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.5M

$4,639 ₱283.8K

27.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 210.6K

$48.81 ₱2,986

18.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 115.7K

$27.42 ₱1,678

16.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 363.3K

$75.6 ₱4,626

32.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 389.7K

$47.02 ₱2,877

127.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$124 ₱7,568

293.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$79.1 ₱4,841

365.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$577 ₱35.3K

43.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$389 ₱23.8K

83.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$2,132 ₱130.4K

37.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$260 ₱15.9K

110.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.5

198.44%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Calamba: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $124 in Calamba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 110% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $13.00 in Calamba. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $206, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 Calamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calamba wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calamba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Medellin pays 110% more on average, 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: $487 in Medellin versus $124 in Calamba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,034 per month in Medellin versus $716 in Calamba – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $716 in Calamba versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Calamba but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Calamba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Calamba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $716 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Calamba hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Calamba 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 Calamba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.