Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Cebu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $934 in Cebu.

Medellin $1,639
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,423 in Cebu.

Medellin $2,413
Cebu $1,423

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,913 in Cebu.

Medellin $3,186
Cebu $1,913

Living in Medellin is roughly 76% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Cebu is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$3.79 ₱243

113.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$23.33 ₱1,493

101.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$3.94 ₱252

141.12%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$2.54 ₱163

18.50%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$1.57 ₱100

14.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$0.47 ₱29.87

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$1.77 ₱113

79.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$2.22 ₱142

159.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$1.90 ₱121

-20.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$1.36 ₱87.3

75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$0.94 ₱59.9

88.30%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$1.99 ₱127

45.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$9.70 ₱621

5.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$4.32 ₱277

128.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

$7.51 ₱481

86.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$3.31 ₱212

19.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$1.37 ₱87.6

13.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

$2.34 ₱150

-6.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$1.49 ₱95.5

46.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$2.30 ₱147

-14.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

$1.87 ₱120

-14.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

$1.10 ₱70.5

4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$0.63 ₱40.42

96.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$2.86 ₱183

38.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$6.08 ₱389

125.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

$1.27 ₱81.6

30.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

$1.72 ₱110

31.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

$0.22 ₱14.01

431.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

$12.34 ₱790

526.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

$0.74 ₱47.61

71.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

$0.22 ₱14.11

831.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

$4.28 ₱274

99.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$1.31 ₱83.8

3.05%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

64.06%

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

82.03%

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

$170 COP 536.8K

$118 ₱7,577

43.27%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$15.76 ₱1,009

-14.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$28.33 ₱1,813

-0.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$32.94 ₱2,108

32.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

$6.49 ₱415

164.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$5.45 ₱349

26.79%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$276 ₱17.6K

188.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

$7,789 ₱498.5K

16.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

$48.18 ₱3,083

75.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

$24.47 ₱1,566

136.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

$75.3 ₱4,818

79.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

$58.0 ₱3,713

68.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$477 ₱30.5K

153.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$322 ₱20.6K

99.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$963 ₱61.6K

110.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$626 ₱40.0K

61.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

$4,551 ₱291.3K

-8.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$3,028 ₱193.8K

-36.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$333 ₱21.3K

97.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

7.2

51.94%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Cebu

$322 34.5% 49.8% $320

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Cebu

$204 21.8% 31.4% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Cebu

$163 17.4% 23.1% $49

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Cebu

$94 10.1% 44.5% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Cebu

$93 9.9% 45.2% $76

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Cebu

$15 1.6% 83.9% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 23.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $477 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 97% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $23 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $204 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

09:10 9:10 AM

22:10 10:10 PM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

964,169

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR

100 PHP = 1.56 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,531 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 63.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.56 USD). 1 EUR = 71.41 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Cebu 17,180 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Cebu

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 Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is about 43% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 97% higher in Medellin, 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $477 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $934 in Cebu – Cebu is about 43% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 84% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.