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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $743 in General Trias, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $1,209 in General Trias, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $1,674 in General Trias, rent included.

Medellin costs about 39% more than General Trias, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Medellin and General Trias are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, General Trias 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$4.54 ₱280

30.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$20.42 ₱1,259

60.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$2.73 ₱168

163.74%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.14 ₱132

-20.56%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.45 ₱27.87

144.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.34 ₱20.95

111.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.22 ₱75.1

36.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$1.65 ₱102

87.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$2.05 ₱126

-48.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.24 ₱76.6

0.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.09 ₱67.2

27.52%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.95 ₱120

15.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$6.84 ₱422

-36.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$4.16 ₱257

40.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$7.15 ₱441

23.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$4.32 ₱266

-48.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.54 ₱95.1

-29.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$2.92 ₱180

-47.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.69 ₱105

-18.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$2.80 ₱173

-59.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$4.07 ₱251

-72.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.62 ₱100

-47.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$1.04 ₱64.4

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$3.15 ₱194

-26.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$9.11 ₱562

22.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.61 ₱99.6

-26.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.01 ₱124

17.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.26 ₱16.02

203.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$0.79 ₱48.51

82.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.22 ₱13.56

768.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$2.08 ₱128

285.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.14 ₱70.1

-17.54%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$12.8K ₱787.8K

40.31%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$20.3K ₱1.3M

31.95%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$36.12 ₱2,228

132.45%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$33.13 ₱2,043

-71.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$23.90 ₱1,474

1.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$33.94 ₱2,094

-23.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$4.55 ₱280

318.46%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$7.27 ₱449

-46.08%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$79.9 ₱4,929

283.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$2,785 ₱171.8K

112.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$32.09 ₱1,980

80.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$29.69 ₱1,832

7.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$99.3 ₱6,125

0.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$94.7 ₱5,842

13.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$111 ₱6,826

339.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$180 ₱11.1K

104.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$174 ₱10.7K

373.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$392 ₱24.2K

82.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$2,617 ₱161.4K

11.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

8.13

65.19%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for General Trias: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Medellin versus $111 in General Trias. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $20.00 in General Trias. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Medellin vs $225 in General Trias – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Trias: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 39% more than General Trias, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,550 per month in Medellin and $1,115 in General Trias. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in General Trias, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,034 in Medellin and $743 in General Trias. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $306 per month in Medellin and $79.9 in General Trias. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in General Trias, where all-in costs run around $743, than in Medellin at $1,034. In General Trias it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. General Trias costs $743 versus $1,034 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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