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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $701 in General Santos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,078 in General Santos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,455 in General Santos.

Living in Medellin is roughly 44% more expensive than General Santos, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, General Santos 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$4.45 ₱275

34.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$10.55 ₱650

211.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$2.84 ₱175

149.65%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$2.06 ₱127

-16.99%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.36 ₱21.95

205.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.30 ₱18.33

160.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$1.13 ₱69.5

48.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$0.91 ₱56.2

237.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.40 ₱86.2

-22.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$0.93 ₱57.3

35.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$0.85 ₱52.3

62.35%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$2.06 ₱127

6.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$6.15 ₱379

-28.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$3.01 ₱185

87.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$6.38 ₱394

39.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$2.96 ₱183

-20.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.14 ₱70.6

-7.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$2.30 ₱142

-34.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$0.43 ₱26.29

220.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$0.92 ₱56.9

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$3.14 ₱193

-63.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$1.03 ₱63.7

-13.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.60 ₱36.94

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$2.17 ₱134

5.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$8.18 ₱504

30.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.09 ₱67.0

10.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$1.50 ₱92.6

64.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.34 ₱20.82

152.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$8.93 ₱550

363.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$0.82 ₱50.6

79.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.16 ₱9.83

1125.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$1.31 ₱81.0

490.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.10 ₱67.7

-13.64%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

-11.90%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$20.5K ₱1.3M

29.17%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$74.6 ₱4,601

10.23%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$34.23 ₱2,111

-72.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$36.19 ₱2,231

-33.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$33.55 ₱2,069

-22.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$1.75 ₱108

985.71%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$3.11 ₱192

26.37%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$58.8 ₱3,628

425.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$1,404 ₱86.5K

324.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$44.99 ₱2,774

30.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$16.05 ₱990

101.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$69.6 ₱4,293

47.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$68.7 ₱4,234

57.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$271 ₱16.7K

76.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$179 ₱11.0K

111.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$584 ₱36.0K

43.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$389 ₱24.0K

86.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

6.5

106.62%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for General Santos: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $271 in General Santos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $11.00 in General Santos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $166 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 44% 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 $1,519 in Medellin and $1,052 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: $476 in Medellin versus $271 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 $11.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,013 per month in Medellin versus $701 in General Santos – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $701 in General Santos versus $1,013 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 $701 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 44% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.