Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Calapan City Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Calapan City

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,017 per month in Medellin vs $776 in Calapan City, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,216 in Calapan City, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,188 per month in Medellin vs $1,656 in Calapan City, rent included.

Medellin costs about 31% more than Calapan City, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Calapan City are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Calapan City 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$3.58 ₱217

66.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$17.80 ₱1,081

87.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$3.39 ₱206

113.27%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.37 ₱144

-31.22%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.77 ₱46.57

41.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.36 ₱21.94

102.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.32 ₱79.9

31.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.18 ₱133

48.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.83 ₱111

-42.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.26 ₱76.6

2.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.03 ₱62.8

28.16%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$2.07 ₱125

9.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$7.79 ₱473

-44.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$4.34 ₱263

35.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$7.52 ₱457

14.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.83 ₱172

-20.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.59 ₱96.6

-32.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$2.68 ₱163

-43.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.60 ₱97.4

-11.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$2.25 ₱136

-48.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$2.53 ₱154

-53.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$1.06 ₱64.6

-16.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.76 ₱46.35

18.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$2.80 ₱170

-19.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$7.88 ₱479

40.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.17 ₱70.8

-2.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.97 ₱120

20.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.28 ₱17.17

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$13.91 ₱844

201.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$0.78 ₱47.10

80.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.22 ₱13.30

763.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$2.08 ₱126

272.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.18 ₱71.4

-14.41%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$26.6K ₱1.6M

-33.93%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$20.2K ₱1.2M

30.94%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$110 ₱6,695

-24.11%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$32.20 ₱1,955

-70.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$27.31 ₱1,658

-11.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$33.87 ₱2,057

-25.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$4.53 ₱275

322.52%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$5.98 ₱363

-31.44%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$152 ₱9,237

105.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$4,351 ₱264.2K

37.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$46.27 ₱2,810

25.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$26.79 ₱1,627

21.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$74.8 ₱4,544

33.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$53.4 ₱3,243

103.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$266 ₱16.1K

81.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$176 ₱10.7K

115.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$598 ₱36.3K

40.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$390 ₱23.7K

85.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$2,403 ₱145.9K

18.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,014 ₱61.5K

20.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$122 ₱7,417

342.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

6.67

101.35%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Calapan City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Medellin versus $266 in Calapan City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 343% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $18.00 in Calapan City. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Medellin vs $204 in Calapan City – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Calapan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 31%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,525 per month in Medellin and $1,164 in Calapan City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Calapan City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $18.00 in Calapan City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,017 in Medellin and $776 in Calapan City. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Calapan City, where all-in costs run around $776, than in Medellin at $1,017. In Calapan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Calapan City – 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 Calapan City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.