😐A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $791 in Iligan City, rent included.
😐A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $1,217 in Iligan City, rent included.
😐A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $1,643 in Iligan City, rent included.
😐Medellin costs about 31% more than Iligan City, driven mainly by Getting Around.
📊Both Medellin and Iligan City are more affordable than the global median – Medellin23% lower, Iligan City41% lower.
Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Iligan City
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.92COP 21.4K
$3.44₱212
72.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.75COP 118.2K
$17.64₱1,088
85.66%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$7.20COP 26.0K
$3.40₱210
111.76%
Cappuccino
$1.70COP 6,140
$2.38₱147
-28.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10COP 3,966
$0.79₱48.47
39.24%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.72COP 2,605
$0.39₱24.09
84.62%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.67COP 6,022
$1.31₱81.0
27.48%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10COP 11.2K
$2.17₱134
42.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Iligan City
Diferencia
Milk(1 liter)
$1.06COP 3,809
$2.24₱138
-52.68%
White Bread(500g)
$1.25COP 4,497
$1.22₱75.2
2.46%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.39COP 5,022
$0.99₱60.9
40.40%
Eggs
$2.26COP 8,168
$2.08₱129
8.65%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$4.33COP 15.6K
$7.88₱486
-45.05%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.84COP 21.1K
$5.01₱309
16.57%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$8.83COP 31.9K
$7.64₱471
15.58%
Apples(1kg)
$2.24COP 8,099
$2.90₱179
-22.76%
Banana(1kg)
$1.08COP 3,882
$1.52₱93.5
-28.95%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.53COP 5,522
$2.73₱168
-43.96%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.37COP 4,950
$1.57₱96.6
-12.74%
Potato(1kg)
$1.13COP 4,078
$2.32₱143
-51.29%
Onion(1kg)
$1.12COP 4,036
$2.51₱155
-55.38%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.85COP 3,057
$1.12₱69.0
-24.11%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.91COP 3,281
$0.72₱44.53
26.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.33COP 8,414
$2.88₱177
-19.10%
Wine(Bottle)
$11.13COP 40.2K
$8.32₱513
33.77%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19COP 4,309
$1.20₱74.3
-0.83%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37COP 8,553
$2.02₱125
17.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Iligan City
Diferencia
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.79COP 2,838
$0.26₱15.92
203.85%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$41.13COP 148.5K
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.44COP 5,184
$0.82₱50.7
75.61%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.91COP 6,901
$0.24₱14.89
695.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$8.02COP 28.9K
$2.19₱135
266.21%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.94COP 3,385
$1.10₱67.6
-14.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.9KCOP 64.7M
$26.4K₱1.6M
-32.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8KCOP 96.7M
$20.7K₱1.3M
29.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Iligan City
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$84.0COP 303.1K
$112₱6,894
-24.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.60COP 34.7K
$32.67₱2,015
-70.62%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.16COP 87.2K
$27.33₱1,686
-11.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Iligan City
Diferencia
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$25.88COP 93.4K
$33.68₱2,078
-23.16%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.04COP 68.7K
$4.39₱271
333.71%
Cinema Ticket
$3.92COP 14.1K
$5.97₱368
-34.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Iligan City
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$306COP 1.1M
$152₱9,386
101.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$5,919COP 21.4M
$4,317₱266.2K
37.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Iligan City
Diferencia
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.9COP 209.1K
$45.59₱2,812
27.02%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.82COP 114.9K
$26.25₱1,619
21.22%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$99.9COP 360.6K
$74.5₱4,594
34.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107COP 386.8K
$54.2₱3,343
97.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Iligan City
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$487COP 1.8M
$270₱16.6K
80.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$368COP 1.3M
$178₱11.0K
106.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$826COP 3.0M
$581₱35.8K
42.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$716COP 2.6M
$395₱24.4K
81.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,925COP 10.6M
$2,220₱137.0K
31.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,407COP 5.1M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Iligan City
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$546COP 2.0M
$203₱12.5K
168.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
13.43
6.67
101.35%
Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.
Última actualización para Medellin: April 27, 2026
Última actualización para Iligan City: April 26, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Medellin versus $270 in Iligan City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.
💰Salaries run about 169% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.
🛒A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $18.00 in Iligan City. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Medellin vs $213 in Iligan City – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.
Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)
El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Medellin vs Iligan City: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
How do living costs in Medellin and Iligan City compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,034 in Medellin, $791 in Iligan City – roughly 31% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.
What salary covers living expenses in Medellin compared to Iligan City?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,550 per month in Medellin and $1,186 in Iligan City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Medellin and Iligan City?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Iligan City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $18.00 in Iligan City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Iligan City, where all-in costs run around $791, than in Medellin at $1,034. In Iligan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Medellin and Iligan City?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $791 in Iligan City to $1,034 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Medellin and Iligan City?
If budget matters most, go with Iligan City. 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.
Medellin vs otros destinos: coste de vida comparado