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: $1,030 in Medellin versus $736 in Cotabato City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,158 in Cotabato City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,580 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 23% lower, Cotabato City 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.1K

$4.32 ₱262

37.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 118.3K

$24.28 ₱1,469

36.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 25.9K

$4.48 ₱271

61.83%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,118

$2.04 ₱123

-16.18%

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

$1.09 COP 3,903

$0.87 ₱52.4

25.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,734

$0.53 ₱31.86

45.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,234

$1.46 ₱88.3

19.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.4K

$1.75 ₱106

81.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,780

$1.07 ₱64.8

-0.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,643

$0.34 ₱20.34

282.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,911

$0.84 ₱50.9

64.29%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,883

$2.01 ₱122

9.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.1K

$6.18 ₱374

-26.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.7K

$3.32 ₱201

74.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.0K

$7.21 ₱436

24.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,157

$1.39 ₱84.4

64.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,779

$1.03 ₱62.6

2.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,394

$1.05 ₱63.3

43.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,854

$1.13 ₱68.2

20.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,133

$1.27 ₱77.0

-8.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,161

$1.47 ₱89.1

-20.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,951

$0.51 ₱30.80

62.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,034

$0.56 ₱33.66

51.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,397

$0.90 ₱54.6

161.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.6K

$8.28 ₱501

33.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,120

$1.36 ₱82.1

-15.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,826

$1.54 ₱93.3

60.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,818

$0.26 ₱15.73

203.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,124

$0.86 ₱52.0

67.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,772

$0.23 ₱13.90

726.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.5K

$2.11 ₱128

264.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,669

$1.14 ₱68.8

-9.65%

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

$17.7K COP 63.1M

$22.3K ₱1.4M

-20.84%

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

$27.0K COP 96.4M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

29.91%

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

$81.4 COP 290.5K

$106 ₱6,385

-22.85%

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

$9.42 COP 33.6K

$34.24 ₱2,072

-72.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 84.8K

$36.31 ₱2,197

-34.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 92.3K

$34.32 ₱2,077

-24.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.0K

$4.33 ₱262

346.65%

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.5K

$3.10 ₱187

30.65%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$121 ₱7,345

157.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.6M

$4,335 ₱262.3K

39.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 210.0K

$45.35 ₱2,744

29.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 117.1K

$30.23 ₱1,829

8.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 358.5K

$79.1 ₱4,784

27.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 379.2K

$68.0 ₱4,112

56.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.7M

$266 ₱16.1K

84.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$174 ₱10.5K

112.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$580 ₱35.1K

44.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$392 ₱23.7K

82.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.5M

$2,222 ₱134.4K

32.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Cotabato City: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Medellin and $266 in Cotabato City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Medellin vs $24 in Cotabato City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 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 $1,544 in Medellin and $1,104 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: $490 in Medellin versus $266 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 $1,030 per month in Medellin versus $736 in Cotabato City – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $736 in Cotabato City versus $1,030 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 $736 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.