Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Calbayog

For one person, living is cheaper in Calbayog: $723 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Calbayog
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Calbayog Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Calbayog

🇵🇭 Philippines

$723

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Calbayog

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 Calbayog actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $723 in Calbayog, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Calbayog $723

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,104 in Calbayog, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Calbayog $1,104

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,484 in Calbayog, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Calbayog $1,484

Medellin costs about 134% more than Calbayog, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Calbayog is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$4.02 ₱255

107.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.1K

$16.24 ₱1,029

186.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.5K

$2.76 ₱175

243.12%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$2.15 ₱136

45.58%

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

$1.77 COP 5,696

$0.68 ₱43.26

160.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,594

$0.31 ₱19.53

358.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.14 ₱72.3

176.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$2.12 ₱134

168.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,943

$1.61 ₱102

-4.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,389

$1.14 ₱72.2

100.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,273

$0.97 ₱61.2

100.00%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,889

$1.92 ₱122

59.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.2K

$5.63 ₱357

77.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$4.15 ₱263

151.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.0K

$7.08 ₱449

97.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$2.31 ₱146

75.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,929

$1.56 ₱99.0

-1.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,786

$2.30 ₱146

-8.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$1.16 ₱73.6

97.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,803

$2.03 ₱129

3.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,512

$2.22 ₱141

-22.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$1.10 ₱69.5

6.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,096

$0.54 ₱33.91

192.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$2.88 ₱182

35.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$7.54 ₱478

86.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,682

$0.94 ₱59.4

87.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,746

$1.89 ₱120

43.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,805

$0.24 ₱15.27

391.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.0K

$12.58 ₱797

506.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,827

$0.78 ₱49.67

132.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,867

$0.22 ₱13.94

868.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.2K

$1.85 ₱117

339.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,113

$1.16 ₱73.3

10.34%

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

$34.4K COP 111.1M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

67.10%

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

$34.1K COP 110.1M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

80.06%

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

$178 COP 573.2K

$118 ₱7,494

50.25%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$15.41 ₱976

-9.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.1K

$23.86 ₱1,512

28.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.3K

$31.71 ₱2,009

32.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

$5.15 ₱327

226.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$5.22 ₱331

43.10%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$130 ₱8,226

508.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$7,709 ₱488.4K

59.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.4K

$32.11 ₱2,034

168.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.1K

$19.07 ₱1,208

210.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.2K

$71.6 ₱4,539

93.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 318.7K

$55.3 ₱3,503

78.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$250 ₱15.8K

436.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$169 ₱10.7K

294.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$487 ₱30.8K

305.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$352 ₱22.3K

193.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$2,619 ₱165.9K

56.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,124 ₱71.2K

72.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$149 ₱9,466

332.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.92

58.09%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Calbayog: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Calbayog

$169 23.4% 74.7% $498

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Calbayog

$179 24.7% 41.8% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Calbayog

$158 21.8% 29.1% $65

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Calbayog

$80 11.1% 53.6% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Calbayog

$80 11.1% 53.5% $92

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Calbayog

$15 2.1% 83.5% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Calbayog

$42 5.8% 25.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $250 in Calbayog. 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 4.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $16 in Calbayog. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $179 – making Calbayog the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 Calbayog

🕒 Local time

21:37 9:37 PM

10:37 10:37 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

183,851

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,631 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 63.36 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71.33 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Calbayog 16,990 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Calbayog

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 Calbayog: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 134%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $1,085 in Calbayog. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 72% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $16 in Calbayog. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Calbayog, where all-in costs run around $723, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Calbayog it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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