Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dagupan

For one person, living is cheaper in Dagupan: $730 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Dagupan
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Dagupan Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Dagupan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$730

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Dagupan

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $730 in Dagupan, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Dagupan $730

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,083 in Dagupan, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Dagupan $1,083

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,435 in Dagupan, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Dagupan $1,435

Medellin costs about 124% more than Dagupan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Dagupan is 46% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$2.76 ₱176

193.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$11.82 ₱753

298.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$4.25 ₱271

123.53%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$2.39 ₱152

25.94%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$0.49 ₱31.37

267.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.22 ₱13.97

540.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$1.20 ₱76.4

165.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$2.67 ₱170

115.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.71 ₱109

-11.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$1.27 ₱80.7

87.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$0.93 ₱59.1

90.32%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$1.92 ₱122

50.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$5.68 ₱362

79.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$4.73 ₱302

108.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$6.66 ₱425

110.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.91 ₱249

1.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$1.91 ₱121

-18.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$2.76 ₱176

-21.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$1.12 ₱71.5

94.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$2.78 ₱177

-29.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$3.38 ₱216

-52.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$1.04 ₱66.5

10.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.53 ₱33.70

133.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$2.30 ₱146

72.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$5.36 ₱341

155.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$0.82 ₱52.3

102.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$1.86 ₱118

21.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.20 ₱12.62

485.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$0.60 ₱38.39

111.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$0.23 ₱14.67

791.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$1.90 ₱121

350.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$1.10 ₱70.1

22.73%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$20.9K ₱1.3M

62.68%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

85.13%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$103 ₱6,552

65.00%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$15.47 ₱986

-12.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$25.08 ₱1,598

11.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$32.41 ₱2,065

34.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$5.03 ₱320

37.38%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$767 ₱48.9K

3.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$7,158 ₱456.1K

27.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$59.9 ₱3,818

41.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$7.65 ₱487

657.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$78.4 ₱4,997

72.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$102 ₱6,524

-4.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$189 ₱12.0K

539.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$159 ₱10.1K

303.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$351 ₱22.4K

477.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$262 ₱16.7K

285.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$463 ₱29.5K

312.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$231 ₱14.7K

184.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

7.5

45.87%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Dagupan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Dagupan

$159 21.8% 75.2% $483

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Dagupan

$194 26.5% 34.8% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Dagupan

$143 19.6% 32.1% $68

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Dagupan

$78 10.6% 54.2% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Dagupan

$112 15.3% 33.9% $57

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Dagupan

$2.6 * 0.4% 97.3% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Dagupan

$42 5.8% 26.2% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $189 in Dagupan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $12 in Dagupan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $194 – making Dagupan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 Dagupan

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

11:22 11:22 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

174,302

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.15 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Dagupan 16,980 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Dagupan

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 Dagupan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 124%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,096 in Dagupan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dagupan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $189 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $12 in Dagupan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 53% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Dagupan, where all-in costs run around $730, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Dagupan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dagupan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Dagupan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.