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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,018 in Medellin versus $739 in Cotabato City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,609 in Medellin versus $1,153 in Cotabato City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,200 in Medellin versus $1,567 in Cotabato City.

Living in Medellin is roughly 38% more expensive than in Cotabato City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Cotabato City 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 COP 19.0K

$4.34 ₱268

36.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.12 COP 106.0K

$24.27 ₱1,498

36.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 COP 22.8K

$4.51 ₱278

57.87%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 5,458

$2.12 ₱131

-19.34%

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

$1.05 COP 3,356

$0.81 ₱50.1

29.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,311

$0.49 ₱30.52

46.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,502

$1.38 ₱85.1

24.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.2K

$1.73 ₱107

83.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,408

$1.04 ₱64.1

1.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,192

$0.34 ₱20.98

285.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,256

$0.83 ₱51.2

60.24%

Eggs

$2.28 COP 7,298

$2.08 ₱129

9.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.42 COP 14.1K

$6.12 ₱378

-27.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 COP 18.9K

$3.36 ₱207

76.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 27.7K

$7.14 ₱441

21.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 7,504

$1.40 ₱86.4

67.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,527

$1.09 ₱67.1

0.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,698

$1.08 ₱66.7

36.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,415

$1.16 ₱71.7

18.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,754

$1.21 ₱74.7

-3.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,744

$1.55 ₱95.8

-24.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,890

$0.55 ₱34.06

63.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,693

$0.60 ₱36.99

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 7,449

$0.85 ₱52.7

174.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 COP 38.1K

$7.96 ₱492

49.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,673

$1.36 ₱84.0

-15.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 COP 7,749

$1.54 ₱95.2

57.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,687

$0.26 ₱16.02

223.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 130.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,517

$0.93 ₱57.2

51.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,127

$0.25 ₱15.50

664.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 COP 25.0K

$2.18 ₱135

259.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,020

$1.09 ₱67.3

-13.76%

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

$17.8K COP 57.0M

$22.5K ₱1.4M

-20.75%

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

$27.1K COP 86.7M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

31.65%

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

$83.3 COP 266.5K

$102 ₱6,311

-18.56%

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

$9.66 COP 30.9K

$34.33 ₱2,119

-71.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.22 COP 77.5K

$36.81 ₱2,272

-34.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.22 COP 80.7K

$34.30 ₱2,117

-26.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 61.9K

$4.52 ₱279

327.65%

Cinema Ticket

$4.07 COP 13.0K

$3.28 ₱202

24.09%

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

$307 COP 981.2K

$121 ₱7,497

152.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,981 COP 19.1M

$4,319 ₱266.6K

38.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 191.9K

$45.25 ₱2,793

32.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.65 COP 104.5K

$29.55 ₱1,824

10.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 323.5K

$76.8 ₱4,738

31.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 345.7K

$69.5 ₱4,290

55.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.5M

$269 ₱16.6K

76.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.2M

$179 ₱11.1K

111.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 COP 2.6M

$577 ₱35.6K

41.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 COP 2.3M

$391 ₱24.1K

80.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,190 COP 10.2M

$2,723 ₱168.1K

17.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 COP 4.6M

$888 ₱54.8K

62.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

9.56

40.48%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Last update for Cotabato City: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $269 in Cotabato City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $24.00 in Cotabato City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $148 per month, with Cotabato City cheaper across the board.

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 Cotabato City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cotabato City wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cotabato City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,527 in Medellin and $1,108 in Cotabato City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $269 in Cotabato City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,018 per month in Medellin versus $739 in Cotabato City – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $739 in Cotabato City versus $1,018 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cotabato City but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cotabato City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cotabato City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $739 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cotabato City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Cotabato City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.