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 $1,687 per month in Medellin vs $728 in Calapan City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,535 per month in Medellin vs $1,110 in Calapan City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,383 per month in Medellin vs $1,492 in Calapan City, rent included.

Medellin costs about 132% more than Calapan City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Calapan City is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 COP 24.2K

$4.03 ₱248

95.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.53 COP 136.5K

$17.16 ₱1,058

159.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 COP 28.5K

$2.92 ₱180

218.15%

Cappuccino

$2.90 COP 8,874

$2.21 ₱136

31.22%

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

$1.81 COP 5,541

$0.63 ₱38.61

187.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 COP 4,741

$0.32 ₱19.58

384.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 9,962

$1.06 ₱65.4

206.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 COP 18.0K

$1.68 ₱103

250.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 COP 4,230

$1.66 ₱102

-16.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 COP 7,517

$1.18 ₱73.0

107.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,617

$0.93 ₱57.5

62.37%

Eggs

$2.78 COP 8,516

$2.00 ₱124

39.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 COP 27.7K

$6.12 ₱377

47.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 COP 32.6K

$4.26 ₱263

150.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 COP 44.8K

$7.19 ₱444

103.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.2K

$2.44 ₱150

62.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,219

$1.62 ₱99.6

-14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,056

$2.36 ₱146

-2.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,185

$1.21 ₱74.5

66.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,390

$2.10 ₱129

-0.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 COP 4,996

$1.96 ₱121

-16.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,313

$0.77 ₱47.50

40.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,843

$0.53 ₱32.38

135.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 COP 12.4K

$2.96 ₱183

36.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 COP 41.3K

$8.14 ₱502

65.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 4,904

$0.94 ₱57.7

70.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 COP 9,189

$2.03 ₱125

47.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,611

$0.25 ₱15.50

372.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 244.9K

$11.40 ₱703

601.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 COP 4,920

$0.75 ₱46.19

114.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,533

$0.25 ₱15.26

752.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 COP 26.1K

$2.15 ₱133

296.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,142

$1.08 ₱66.6

25.00%

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

$28.3K COP 86.8M

$23.6K ₱1.5M

19.95%

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

$35.7K COP 109.4M

$19.5K ₱1.2M

83.17%

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

$151 COP 463.8K

$123 ₱7,582

23.07%

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

$13.10 COP 40.1K

$14.25 ₱878

-8.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 COP 99.0K

$25.08 ₱1,546

28.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.33 COP 141.9K

$31.70 ₱1,954

46.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 COP 52.9K

$4.50 ₱278

283.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 COP 19.7K

$5.36 ₱330

19.96%

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

$835 COP 2.6M

$122 ₱7,510

585.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,887 COP 27.2M

$7,432 ₱458.1K

19.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 COP 273.7K

$33.24 ₱2,049

168.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 COP 169.5K

$22.30 ₱1,375

148.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 418.5K

$76.7 ₱4,731

77.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 335.1K

$63.3 ₱3,903

72.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 COP 2.9M

$278 ₱17.1K

242.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 COP 2.0M

$165 ₱10.2K

304.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 COP 6.2M

$496 ₱30.6K

307.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 COP 3.5M

$354 ₱21.8K

224.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,696 COP 11.3M

$2,463 ₱151.9K

50.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,586 COP 4.9M

$1,018 ₱62.7K

55.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

$121 ₱7,471

416.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

6.75

54.52%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Last update for Calapan City: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $952 in Medellin versus $278 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 416% 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 $45.00 in Medellin versus $17.00 in Calapan City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $183 – making Calapan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 132%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,530 per month in Medellin and $1,093 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 $45.00 in Medellin and $17.00 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 $1,687 in Medellin and $728 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 $728, than in Medellin at $1,687. 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.