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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $720 in Cauayan City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,092 in Cauayan City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $1,465 in Cauayan City, rent included.

Medellin costs about 133% more than Cauayan City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$3.94 ₱248

103.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$16.62 ₱1,044

188.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$2.73 ₱172

262.27%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$1.76 ₱111

77.84%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$0.56 ₱35.43

241.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.31 ₱19.44

387.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$0.96 ₱60.1

225.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$1.61 ₱101

257.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.63 ₱102

-11.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$1.14 ₱71.9

118.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$1.01 ₱63.4

75.25%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$1.98 ₱125

49.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$5.19 ₱326

94.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$3.31 ₱208

205.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$7.69 ₱483

85.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$2.31 ₱145

79.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.61 ₱101

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$2.40 ₱151

-6.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$1.02 ₱64.3

120.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$1.73 ₱109

17.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$1.73 ₱108

-10.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$0.67 ₱41.97

74.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$0.53 ₱33.21

147.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$2.98 ₱188

30.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$8.93 ₱561

56.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$0.93 ₱58.2

87.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$2.08 ₱131

37.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$0.27 ₱17.14

351.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

$10.51 ₱660

665.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$0.80 ₱50.4

63.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$0.25 ₱15.78

776.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$1.88 ₱118

363.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$0.97 ₱60.8

41.24%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$21.6K ₱1.4M

29.12%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

84.78%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$140 ₱8,792

26.70%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$10.54 ₱662

31.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$22.34 ₱1,403

33.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

$29.51 ₱1,854

52.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

$4.09 ₱257

318.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$5.29 ₱333

25.71%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$134 ₱8,432

505.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$10.9K ₱684.5K

-15.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$29.17 ₱1,833

206.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$19.20 ₱1,206

207.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$56.2 ₱3,531

145.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$55.1 ₱3,459

85.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$251 ₱15.8K

322.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$168 ₱10.5K

295.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$469 ₱29.5K

302.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$328 ₱20.6K

213.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$2,867 ₱180.1K

45.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,123 ₱70.6K

49.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

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 Cauayan City: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $251 in Cauayan City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $17.00 in Cauayan City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $175 – making Cauayan 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 Cauayan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,681 in Medellin, $720 in Cauayan City – roughly 133% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,080 in Cauayan City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $813 per month in Medellin and $134 in Cauayan City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 74% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cauayan City, where all-in costs run around $720, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Cauayan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $720 in Cauayan City to $1,681 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Cauayan 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.