Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and General Santos Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and General Santos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $618 in General Santos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,007 in General Santos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $1,396 in General Santos.

Living in Medellin is roughly 178% more expensive than in General Santos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, General Santos is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.3K

$3.42 ₱214

134.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 152.0K

$27.30 ₱1,707

76.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.8K

$2.76 ₱173

253.99%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,167

$2.61 ₱163

11.49%

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

$1.94 COP 6,122

$0.30 ₱18.85

546.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,792

$0.25 ₱15.70

508.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,740

$1.58 ₱99.1

95.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$2.36 ₱147

143.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,296

$2.01 ₱126

-32.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,519

$1.13 ₱70.9

111.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,356

$0.88 ₱54.9

93.18%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,038

$1.94 ₱121

47.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.3K

$6.62 ₱414

50.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 34.0K

$4.15 ₱260

159.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.4K

$8.73 ₱546

68.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.9K

$2.69 ₱168

52.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,950

$1.12 ₱70.0

40.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,695

$2.33 ₱146

-8.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,972

$1.21 ₱75.7

82.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,447

$2.08 ₱130

-1.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,737

$3.10 ₱194

-51.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,747

$1.20 ₱74.7

-0.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,647

$0.66 ₱41.43

75.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$2.41 ₱151

61.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.5K

$8.05 ₱503

79.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,987

$1.26 ₱78.8

25.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,905

$1.60 ₱99.9

76.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,679

$0.41 ₱25.86

185.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.8K

$8.20 ₱513

847.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,045

$0.83 ₱52.1

54.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,589

$0.23 ₱14.37

808.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$0.83 ₱52.0

938.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,088

$1.07 ₱66.7

21.50%

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

$27.7K COP 87.1M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

32.83%

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

$35.5K COP 111.8M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

90.17%

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

$176 COP 554.5K

$75.1 ₱4,696

134.45%

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

$13.37 COP 42.1K

$6.50 ₱406

105.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.1K

$31.86 ₱1,992

-6.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 141.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.7K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$4.73 ₱296

31.08%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$108 ₱6,772

632.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$7,671 ₱479.7K

17.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.6K

$62.3 ₱3,896

37.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 184.1K

$26.97 ₱1,686

116.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 429.3K

$71.2 ₱4,454

91.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.7K

$61.1 ₱3,822

68.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$178 ₱11.1K

495.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$112 ₱6,973

509.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$367 ₱23.0K

447.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$241 ₱15.1K

384.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for General Santos: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $178 in General Santos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $27.00 in General Santos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $196 per month, with General Santos 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 General Santos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

General Santos wins on cost – living expenses run 178% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making General Santos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,574 in Medellin and $927 in General Santos 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $178 in General Santos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in General Santos – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,716 per month in Medellin versus $618 in General Santos – a 178% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $618 in General Santos versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in General Santos but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes General Santos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but General Santos delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $618 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes General Santos hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and General Santos are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find General Santos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 178% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.