Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dumaguete

For one person, living is cheaper in Dumaguete: $790 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Dumaguete
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Dumaguete Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Dumaguete

🇵🇭 Philippines

$790

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Dumaguete

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $790 in Dumaguete.

Medellin $1,639
Dumaguete $790

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,195 in Dumaguete.

Medellin $2,413
Dumaguete $1,195

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,600 in Dumaguete.

Medellin $3,186
Dumaguete $1,600

Living in Medellin is roughly 108% more expensive than in Dumaguete, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Dumaguete is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$3.82 ₱242

111.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$15.47 ₱982

204.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$4.23 ₱268

124.59%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$2.22 ₱141

35.59%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.72 ₱45.42

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$0.43 ₱27.00

227.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$1.37 ₱86.9

132.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$1.83 ₱116

214.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$1.66 ₱105

-9.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$1.31 ₱83.3

81.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$0.92 ₱58.6

92.39%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$1.79 ₱113

61.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$8.57 ₱544

18.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$4.40 ₱279

124.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$6.86 ₱436

103.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.54 ₱97.6

157.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$1.27 ₱80.8

22.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$3.44 ₱218

-36.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$1.28 ₱81.0

70.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$2.52 ₱160

-22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$1.58 ₱100

0.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$0.81 ₱51.7

41.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.57 ₱36.14

117.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$2.32 ₱148

70.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$8.45 ₱537

61.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.14 ₱72.3

45.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$1.27 ₱80.7

77.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$0.30 ₱18.99

290.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$11.33 ₱720

582.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$0.69 ₱43.72

84.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$0.15 ₱9.38

1266.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$2.13 ₱135

301.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$1.09 ₱69.3

23.85%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$20.2K ₱1.3M

68.40%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$19.0K ₱1.2M

82.16%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$66.5 ₱4,220

155.30%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$9.65 ₱613

40.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$26.12 ₱1,659

7.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$31.13 ₱1,977

40.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$3.83 ₱243

348.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$7.19 ₱457

-3.89%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$56.4 ₱3,585

1311.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$1,650 ₱104.8K

452.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$93.0 ₱5,908

-8.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$31.24 ₱1,984

85.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$100 ₱6,372

34.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$111 ₱7,020

-11.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$233 ₱14.8K

417.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$202 ₱12.9K

217.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$416 ₱26.4K

387.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$344 ₱21.9K

193.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$3,045 ₱193.4K

36.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$674 ₱42.8K

183.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$278 ₱17.6K

136.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

56.29%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Dumaguete: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Dumaguete

$202 25.6% 68.5% $439

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Dumaguete

$190 24.1% 36% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Dumaguete

$102 12.9% 51.6% $109

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Dumaguete

$85 10.8% 49.9% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Dumaguete

$151 19.1% 10.8% $18

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Dumaguete

$14 1.8% 85.1% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Dumaguete

$46 5.8% 20.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $233 in Dumaguete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 2.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $15 in Dumaguete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $190 per month, with Dumaguete cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇭 Dumaguete

🕒 Local time

16:04 4:04 PM

05:04 5:04 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

134,103

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 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 = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,619 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.51 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.18 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Dumaguete 17,300 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Dumaguete

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 Dumaguete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $790 in Dumaguete, so Dumaguete is about 52% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Medellin is about 2.4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $233 in Dumaguete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $790 in Dumaguete – Dumaguete is about 52% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Dumaguete runs roughly 85% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $790 in Dumaguete versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Dumaguete but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Dumaguete the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dumaguete is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Dumaguete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.