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: $1,641 in Medellin versus $754 in Cotabato City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,149 in Cotabato City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,544 in Cotabato City.

Living in Medellin is roughly 118% more expensive than in Cotabato City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Cotabato City is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 25.0K

$4.92 ₱307

63.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 149.9K

$16.52 ₱1,030

192.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.3K

$4.11 ₱256

129.20%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,120

$2.15 ₱134

36.74%

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

$1.86 COP 5,786

$1.08 ₱67.6

72.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,519

$0.70 ₱43.73

108.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,969

$1.13 ₱70.5

184.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.7K

$1.89 ₱118

202.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,467

$2.04 ₱127

-29.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,454

$1.09 ₱68.2

120.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,274

$0.83 ₱51.7

104.82%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,975

$1.94 ₱121

48.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.2K

$6.87 ₱429

46.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 31.0K

$4.16 ₱259

139.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 44.1K

$8.49 ₱530

67.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.4K

$2.62 ₱163

51.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,921

$1.13 ₱70.2

39.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,682

$2.31 ₱144

-6.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,141

$1.20 ₱75.0

91.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,223

$2.14 ₱134

-6.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,687

$3.48 ₱217

-56.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,734

$1.19 ₱74.5

0.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,981

$0.68 ₱42.37

88.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.9K

$2.55 ₱159

50.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.5K

$7.93 ₱495

76.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,302

$1.30 ₱80.9

31.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,515

$1.59 ₱99.0

72.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,868

$0.25 ₱15.46

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 241.9K

$11.14 ₱695

599.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,052

$0.82 ₱50.9

59.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,739

$0.23 ₱14.24

843.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.8K

$1.90 ₱118

336.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,209

$1.17 ₱73.1

16.24%

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

$27.5K COP 85.3M

$21.6K ₱1.3M

26.92%

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

$36.5K COP 113.4M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

92.78%

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

$169 COP 523.8K

$108 ₱6,720

56.56%

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

$13.57 COP 42.1K

$19.17 ₱1,195

-29.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.9K

$31.98 ₱1,994

-11.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 141.9K

$32.42 ₱2,021

40.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.5K

$4.93 ₱308

249.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$4.86 ₱303

36.83%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$109 ₱6,783

638.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.5M

$7,655 ₱477.3K

20.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 271.2K

$32.37 ₱2,019

169.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 184.3K

$19.46 ₱1,214

205.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 431.3K

$71.7 ₱4,470

93.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 316.8K

$61.7 ₱3,845

65.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$269 ₱16.8K

297.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$175 ₱10.9K

272.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 6.0M

$505 ₱31.5K

280.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.3M

$358 ₱22.3K

192.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.8M

$2,636 ₱164.4K

56.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.3M

$1,030 ₱64.2K

64.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.31

31.65%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Cotabato City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $269 in Cotabato City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $17.00 in Cotabato City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $196 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 118% 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 $2,462 in Medellin and $1,131 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $269 in Cotabato City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $754 in Cotabato City – a 118% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cotabato City runs roughly 599% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $754 in Cotabato City versus $1,641 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 $754 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 118% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.