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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $724 in Cotabato City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,154 in Cotabato City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,584 in Cotabato City.

Living in Medellin is roughly 40% more expensive than Cotabato City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Cotabato City 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.5K

$4.41 ₱272

35.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.9K

$23.90 ₱1,473

37.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.5K

$4.63 ₱285

53.13%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,146

$2.03 ₱125

-15.76%

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

$1.10 COP 3,944

$0.87 ₱53.4

26.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,795

$0.53 ₱32.60

47.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 6,028

$1.41 ₱86.8

19.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$1.75 ₱108

75.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,925

$1.04 ₱64.2

4.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,530

$0.34 ₱20.95

270.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,947

$0.91 ₱55.9

51.65%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,867

$2.01 ₱124

8.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.8K

$5.86 ₱361

-24.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.2K

$3.26 ₱201

72.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.9K

$7.43 ₱458

19.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,391

$1.40 ₱86.4

67.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,796

$1.04 ₱64.1

1.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,401

$1.07 ₱66.1

40.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,949

$1.12 ₱69.0

23.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,132

$1.26 ₱77.9

-8.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,176

$1.50 ₱92.4

-22.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,198

$0.51 ₱31.14

74.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 3,012

$0.57 ₱34.95

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,186

$0.86 ₱52.8

165.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.2K

$8.11 ₱500

31.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,305

$1.42 ₱87.3

-15.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,869

$1.50 ₱92.3

64.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,072

$0.28 ₱17.27

207.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 148.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,290

$0.88 ₱54.1

67.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,045

$0.25 ₱15.49

684.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.8K

$2.09 ₱129

270.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,426

$1.10 ₱68.1

-13.64%

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

$18.1K COP 65.1M

$22.4K ₱1.4M

-19.16%

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

$26.5K COP 95.1M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

24.59%

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

$82.3 COP 295.2K

$105 ₱6,483

-21.80%

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

$9.50 COP 34.1K

$34.22 ₱2,109

-72.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 87.0K

$36.53 ₱2,252

-33.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.9K

$34.34 ₱2,117

-24.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 68.2K

$4.33 ₱267

338.80%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.1K

$3.14 ₱194

25.16%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$117 ₱7,234

163.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.4M

$4,325 ₱266.6K

37.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 210.5K

$46.46 ₱2,864

26.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 116.1K

$29.70 ₱1,831

8.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 368.2K

$79.0 ₱4,872

29.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.2K

$68.8 ₱4,239

57.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$263 ₱16.2K

81.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$179 ₱11.0K

111.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$576 ₱35.5K

45.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$397 ₱24.4K

82.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$2,371 ₱146.2K

17.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,070 ₱66.0K

13.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cotabato City: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $263 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 $188 vs $147 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 40% 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 $1,519 in Medellin and $1,086 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 $263 in Cotabato City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,013 per month in Medellin versus $724 in Cotabato City – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $724 in Cotabato City versus $1,013 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 $724 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 40% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.